diff --git a/bindings/bindings.py b/bindings/bindings.py
index b46357d7..6a74d281 100644
--- a/bindings/bindings.py
+++ b/bindings/bindings.py
@@ -23,10 +23,16 @@
 
 import os
 import re
-from six import print_
+from six import print_, PY3
 import sys
 from utils import *
 
+if PY3:
+    do_open = lambda *args, **kwargs: open(*args, encoding='utf-8', **kwargs)
+else:
+    do_open = open
+
+
 from optparse import OptionParser
 
 try:
@@ -160,10 +166,10 @@ class BindingData:
             if not 'Makefile.am' in filenames:
                 # not a source dir
                 continue
-            makefile_am = open(os.path.join(base, 'Makefile.am')).read()
+            makefile_am = do_open(os.path.join(base, 'Makefile.am')).read()
             filenames = [x for x in filenames if x.endswith('.c') if x in makefile_am]
             for filename in filenames:
-                s = open(os.path.join(base, filename)).read()
+                s = do_open(os.path.join(base, filename)).read()
                 docstrings = regex.findall(s)
                 for d in docstrings:
                     docstring = '\n'.join([x[3:] for x in d.splitlines()])
@@ -406,7 +412,7 @@ def parse_header(header_file):
     in_struct_private = False
     in_ifdef_zero = False
 
-    lines = open(header_file).readlines()
+    lines = do_open(header_file).readlines()
     i = 0
     while i < len(lines):
         line = lines[i]
diff --git a/debian-jessie/rules b/debian-jessie/rules
index bbd34115..9e6598a4 100644
--- a/debian-jessie/rules
+++ b/debian-jessie/rules
@@ -26,10 +26,8 @@ ifneq ($(DEB_TARGET_ARCH),i386)
  endif
 endif
 
-PYDEF		:= $(shell pyversions -vd)
-PYVERS		:= $(shell pyversions -vr debian/control)
+PYVERS		:= $(shell pyversions -vr)
 PY3VERS		:= $(shell py3versions -vr '>= 3.0')
-OTHERPYVERS	:= $(filter-out $(PYDEF), $(PYVERS))
 
 CFLAGS = `dpkg-buildflags --get CFLAGS`
 CFLAGS += -Wall
@@ -66,7 +64,11 @@ config.status: configure
 	dh_testdir
 	# Add here commands to configure the package.
 	autoreconf -fi
-	CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS)" CPPFLAGS="$(CPPFLAGS)" LDFLAGS="$(LDFLAGS)" ./configure --host=$(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE) --build=$(DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE) $(CONFIGURE_ARGS)
+	for v in $(PYVERS) $(PY3VERS); do \
+	  CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS)" CPPFLAGS="$(CPPFLAGS)" LDFLAGS="$(LDFLAGS)" ./configure --host=$(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE) --build=$(DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE) --with-python=/usr/bin/python$$v $(CONFIGURE_ARGS); \
+	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
+	  cp -a bindings/python bindings/python$$v; \
+	done
 
 
 build: build-stamp
@@ -76,19 +78,9 @@ build-stamp:  config.status
 	# Add here commands to compile the package.
 	$(MAKE)
 	set -e; \
-	for v in $(OTHERPYVERS); do \
-	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
-	  cp -a bindings/python bindings/python$$v; \
-	  sed "s/$(PYDEF)/$$v/g" bindings/python/Makefile > bindings/python$$v/Makefile; \
+	for v in $(PYVERS) $(PY3VERS); do \
 	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v clean; \
-	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v; \
-	done
-	for v in $(PY3VERS); do \
-	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
-	  cp -a bindings/python bindings/python$$v; \
-	  sed "s/$(PYDEF)/$$v/g" bindings/python/Makefile > bindings/python$$v/Makefile; \
-	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v clean; \
-	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v; \
+	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v V=1; \
 	done
 
 	touch build-stamp
@@ -106,10 +98,7 @@ endif
 
 	[ ! -f Makefile ] || $(MAKE) distclean
 
-	for v in $(OTHERPYVERS); do \
-	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
-	done
-	for v in $(PY3VERS); do \
+	for v in $(PYVERS) $(PY3VERS); do \
 	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
 	done
 
@@ -128,10 +117,7 @@ install: build
 	$(MAKE) install DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/tmp \
 		GACUTIL="/usr/bin/gacutil -root $(CURDIR)/debian/tmp/usr/lib"
 	set -e; \
-	for v in $(OTHERPYVERS); do \
-	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v install DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/tmp; \
-	done
-	for v in $(PY3VERS); do \
+	for v in $(PYVERS) $(PY3VERS); do \
 	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v install DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/tmp; \
 	done
 
diff --git a/debian-stretch/rules b/debian-stretch/rules
index 2ada60de..5408bc76 100755
--- a/debian-stretch/rules
+++ b/debian-stretch/rules
@@ -28,10 +28,8 @@ endif
 
 with_php := no
 
-PYDEF		:= $(shell pyversions -vd)
-PYVERS		:= $(shell pyversions -vr debian/control)
+PYVERS		:= $(shell pyversions -vr)
 PY3VERS		:= $(shell py3versions -vr '>= 3.0')
-OTHERPYVERS	:= $(filter-out $(PYDEF), $(PYVERS))
 
 CFLAGS = `dpkg-buildflags --get CFLAGS`
 CFLAGS += -Wall
@@ -63,9 +61,9 @@ else
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(with_php),yes)
-  CONFIGURE_ARGS += --enable-php --with-php5-config-dir=/etc/php5/mods-available/
+  CONFIGURE_ARGS += --enable-php5 --with-php5-config-dir=/etc/php5/mods-available/
 else
-  CONFIGURE_ARGS += --disable-php
+  CONFIGURE_ARGS += --disable-php5
 endif
 
 
@@ -74,7 +72,11 @@ config.status: configure
 	dh_testdir
 	# Add here commands to configure the package.
 	dh_autoreconf
-	CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS)" CPPFLAGS="$(CPPFLAGS)" LDFLAGS="$(LDFLAGS)" ./configure --host=$(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE) --build=$(DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE) $(CONFIGURE_ARGS)
+	for v in $(PYVERS) $(PY3VERS); do \
+	  CFLAGS="$(CFLAGS)" CPPFLAGS="$(CPPFLAGS)" LDFLAGS="$(LDFLAGS)" ./configure --host=$(DEB_HOST_GNU_TYPE) --build=$(DEB_BUILD_GNU_TYPE) --with-python=/usr/bin/python$$v $(CONFIGURE_ARGS); \
+	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
+	  cp -a bindings/python bindings/python$$v; \
+	done
 
 
 build: build-stamp
@@ -84,19 +86,9 @@ build-stamp:  config.status
 	# Add here commands to compile the package.
 	$(MAKE) V=1
 	set -e; \
-	for v in $(OTHERPYVERS); do \
-	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
-	  cp -a bindings/python bindings/python$$v; \
-	  sed "s/$(PYDEF)/$$v/g" bindings/python/Makefile > bindings/python$$v/Makefile; \
+	for v in $(PYVERS) $(PY3VERS); do \
 	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v clean; \
-	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v; \
-	done
-	for v in $(PY3VERS); do \
-	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
-	  cp -a bindings/python bindings/python$$v; \
-	  sed "s/$(PYDEF)/$$v/g" bindings/python/Makefile > bindings/python$$v/Makefile; \
-	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v clean; \
-	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v; \
+	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v V=1; \
 	done
 
 	touch build-stamp
@@ -121,10 +113,7 @@ endif
 
 	[ ! -f Makefile ] || $(MAKE) distclean
 
-	for v in $(OTHERPYVERS); do \
-	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
-	done
-	for v in $(PY3VERS); do \
+	for v in $(PY2VERS) $(PY3VERS); do \
 	  rm -rf bindings/python$$v; \
 	done
 
@@ -144,10 +133,7 @@ install: build
 	$(MAKE) install DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/tmp \
 		GACUTIL="/usr/bin/gacutil -root $(CURDIR)/debian/tmp/usr/lib"
 	set -e; \
-	for v in $(OTHERPYVERS); do \
-	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v install DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/tmp; \
-	done
-	for v in $(PY3VERS); do \
+	for v in $(PYVERS) $(PY3VERS); do \
 	  $(MAKE) -C bindings/python$$v install DESTDIR=$(CURDIR)/debian/tmp; \
 	done