diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2db779b5..3ad83543 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ NAME=koji
 SPECFILE = $(firstword $(wildcard *.spec))
 SUBDIRS = hub builder koji cli util www plugins vm
 
+ifndef PYTHON
+export PYTHON=python2
+endif
+
 ifdef DIST
 DIST_DEFINES := --define "dist $(DIST)"
 endif
diff --git a/cli/Makefile b/cli/Makefile
index c9112f3d..fea4906b 100644
--- a/cli/Makefile
+++ b/cli/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 SUBDIRS=koji_cli
 
-PYTHON=python
 PACKAGE = $(shell basename `pwd`)
 PYVER := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print("%.3s" %(sys.version))')
 PYSYSDIR := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print(sys.prefix)')
diff --git a/cli/koji_cli/Makefile b/cli/koji_cli/Makefile
index 42dcdcf9..baf78d37 100644
--- a/cli/koji_cli/Makefile
+++ b/cli/koji_cli/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 PYFILES = $(wildcard *.py)
 
-PYTHON=python
 PACKAGE = $(shell basename `pwd`)
 PYVER := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print("%.3s" % (sys.version))')
 PYSYSDIR := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print(sys.prefix)')
diff --git a/hub/Makefile b/hub/Makefile
index f95a1737..f5fd3d6c 100644
--- a/hub/Makefile
+++ b/hub/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-PYTHON=python
 PACKAGE = $(shell basename `pwd`)
 PYFILES = $(wildcard *.py)
 PYVER := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print("%.3s" %(sys.version))')
diff --git a/koji.spec b/koji.spec
index 6f6337be..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 %{?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/koji/Makefile b/koji/Makefile
index c1382315..4abb93ba 100644
--- a/koji/Makefile
+++ b/koji/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-PYTHON=python
 PACKAGE = $(shell basename `pwd`)
 ifeq ($(PYTHON), python3)
     # for python3 we fully support only basic library + CLI
diff --git a/plugins/Makefile b/plugins/Makefile
index cddab666..f775bda4 100644
--- a/plugins/Makefile
+++ b/plugins/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-PYTHON=python
+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)
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ install:
 		echo "ERROR: A destdir is required"; \
 		exit 1; \
 	fi
-	if [ "$(PYTHON)" == "python" ] ; then \
+	if [ "$(PYMAJORVER)" == "2" ] ; then \
 		mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/$(HUBPLUGINDIR); \
 		mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)/$(BUILDERPLUGINDIR); \
 		install -p -m 644 $(HUBFILES) $(DESTDIR)/$(HUBPLUGINDIR); \
diff --git a/www/lib/kojiweb/Makefile b/www/lib/kojiweb/Makefile
index 85eb5596..84e8b033 100644
--- a/www/lib/kojiweb/Makefile
+++ b/www/lib/kojiweb/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-PYTHON=python
 PACKAGE = $(shell basename `pwd`)
 PYFILES = $(wildcard *.py)
 PYVER := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c 'import sys; print("%.3s" % (sys.version))')