diff --git a/koji.spec b/koji.spec
index 89ad397d..907b2d89 100644
--- a/koji.spec
+++ b/koji.spec
@@ -268,14 +268,14 @@ koji-web is a web UI to the Koji system.
 
 %install
 rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
-make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT PYTHON=python2 %{?install_opt} install
+make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT PYTHON=%{__python2} %{?install_opt} install
 %if 0%{with python3}
 cd koji
-make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT PYTHON=python3 %{?install_opt} install
+make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT PYTHON=%{__python3} %{?install_opt} install
 cd ../cli
-make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT PYTHON=python3 %{?install_opt} install
+make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT PYTHON=%{__python3} %{?install_opt} install
 cd ../plugins
-make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT PYTHON=python3 %{?install_opt} install
+make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT PYTHON=%{__python3} %{?install_opt} install
 # alter python interpreter in koji CLI
 sed -i 's/\#\!\/usr\/bin\/python2/\#\!\/usr\/bin\/python3/' $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/usr/bin/koji
 %endif
diff --git a/plugins/Makefile b/plugins/Makefile
index ff3fe1c6..f775bda4 100644
--- a/plugins/Makefile
+++ b/plugins/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+PYMAJORVER := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print(sys.version_info[0])')
 PYVER := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print("%.3s" %(sys.version))')
 PYSYSDIR := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print(sys.prefix)')
 PYLIBDIR = $(PYSYSDIR)/lib/python$(PYVER)
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ install:
 		echo "ERROR: A destdir is required"; \
 		exit 1; \
 	fi
-	if [ "$(PYTHON)" == "python2" ] ; then \
+	if [ "$(PYMAJORVER)" == "2" ] ; then \
 		mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/$(HUBPLUGINDIR); \
 		mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/$(BUILDERPLUGINDIR); \
 		install -p -m 644 $(HUBFILES) $(DESTDIR)/$(HUBPLUGINDIR); \