diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8c582f6b09..d6842670a2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1223,7 +1223,10 @@ else
 fi
 AC_SUBST(NM_LOG_COMPILER, 'LOG_COMPILER = "$(top_srcdir)/tools/run-nm-test.sh" --called-from-make "$(abs_top_builddir)" "$(LIBTOOL)" "$(with_valgrind)" "'"$with_valgrind_suppressions"'" --launch-dbus=auto')
 
-AM_PATH_PYTHON([], [], [PYTHON=python])
+AM_PATH_PYTHON([3], [], [PYTHON=])
+if test -z "$PYTHON"; then
+	AM_PATH_PYTHON([], [], [PYTHON=python])
+fi
 AC_SUBST(PYTHON, [$PYTHON])
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(TEST_NM_PYTHON, "$PYTHON", [Define python path for test binary])