diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 4480c83..4cc10b8 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -483,6 +483,7 @@ if env.GetOption("clean") or env.GetOption("help"):
     usblibs = []
     bluezlibs = []
     ncurseslibs = []
+    pylib = []
     confdefs = []
     manbuilder = False
     htmlbuilder = False
@@ -668,6 +669,10 @@ else:
         "dbus_export" : ["libdbus-1"],
         }
 
+    if env['python']:
+        pylibs = [ 'python', 'python2.7' ]
+        pylib = [ lib for lib in pylibs if config.CheckLib(lib) ]
+
     keys = map(lambda x: (x[0],x[2]), boolopts) + map(lambda x: (x[0],x[2]), nonboolopts) + map(lambda x: (x[0],x[2]), pathopts)
     keys.sort()
     for (key,help) in keys:
@@ -1142,7 +1147,8 @@ else:
                        CPPPATH=[includepy],
                        CPPFLAGS=opt,
                        CFLAGS=basecflags,
-                       CXXFLAGS=basecflags)
+                       CXXFLAGS=basecflags,
+                       LIBS=pylib)
 
     python_objects={}
     python_compiled_libs = {}