diff --git a/bindings/java/Makefile.am b/bindings/java/Makefile.am
index 05e5f9ee..8de0178d 100644
--- a/bindings/java/Makefile.am
+++ b/bindings/java/Makefile.am
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ if WSF_ENABLED
 EXTRA_ARGS = --enable-id-wsf
 endif
 
-java_lasso_source_files := $(shell python $(top_srcdir)/bindings/bindings.py -l java-list --src-dir=$(top_srcdir)/lasso/ $(EXTRA_ARGS) )
+java_lasso_source_files := $(shell $(PYTHON) $(top_srcdir)/bindings/bindings.py -l java-list --src-dir=$(top_srcdir)/lasso/ $(EXTRA_ARGS) )
 
 lasso_jardir=$(prefix)/share/java
 lasso_jar_DATA=lasso.jar
diff --git a/bindings/python/tests/Makefile.am b/bindings/python/tests/Makefile.am
index 205e7613..1305f26f 100644
--- a/bindings/python/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/bindings/python/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -11,5 +11,8 @@ if WSF_ENABLED
 TESTS += idwsf1_tests.py idwsf2_tests.py
 endif
 
+TEST_EXTENSIONS = .py
+PY_LOG_COMPILER = $(PYTHON)
+
 EXTRA_DIST = profiles_tests.py binding_tests.py idwsf1_tests.py idwsf2_tests.py \
 	tests.py XmlTestRunner.py
diff --git a/lasso/Makefile.am b/lasso/Makefile.am
index 751f9419..49ae88a7 100644
--- a/lasso/Makefile.am
+++ b/lasso/Makefile.am
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ liblasso_la_LDFLAGS = -no-undefined -version-info @LASSO_VERSION_INFO@  \
 endif
 
 $(srcdir)/errors.c: $(srcdir)/errors.h $(srcdir)/build_strerror.py
-	python $(srcdir)/build_strerror.py $(srcdir) >.errors.c.new
+	$(PYTHON) $(srcdir)/build_strerror.py $(srcdir) >.errors.c.new
 	if ! cmp -s $(srcdir)/errors.c .errors.c.new; then \
 	mv -f .errors.c.new $@; else \
 	rm .errors.c.new; fi
diff --git a/tools/check-lasso-sections.py b/tools/check-lasso-sections.py
index cb4c39c4..3a6c9880 100755
--- a/tools/check-lasso-sections.py
+++ b/tools/check-lasso-sections.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python
+#!/usr/bin/env python
 
 import sys
 import os.path