diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 69e9478..ba0d2e7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ if test "x$PYTHON" = xyes; then
 
    if test "x$have_python" = "xyes"; then
       AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python site-packages path])
-      PYTHON_VERSION='2.7'
+      PYTHON_VERSION=`$PKG_CONFIG --modversion python3`
       PYTHON_SITE_PKG=${prefix}/lib/python${PYTHON_VERSION}/site-packages
       AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
       AC_SUBST([PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
diff --git a/python/Makefile.am b/python/Makefile.am
index 63c737f..015fc26 100644
--- a/python/Makefile.am
+++ b/python/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ if HAVE_PYTHON
 SWIG_SRC = planes.i
 
 SWIG=swig
-PYTHON=python
+PYTHON=python3
 
 SWIG_V_GEN = $(swig_v_GEN_$(V))
 swig_v_GEN_ = $(swig_v_GEN_$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))
diff --git a/scripts/planes-loop.py b/scripts/planes-loop.py
index ded88d4..4c6904e 100755
--- a/scripts/planes-loop.py
+++ b/scripts/planes-loop.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 from mpio import *
 import glob