diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 463a712..6ecb7bd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -268,66 +268,72 @@ PYTHON_VERSION=
 PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR=
 PYTHON_INSTALLDIR=
 
-AC_CHECK_PROG([PYTHON],[python],[python],[no])
-
-if test "x$PYTHON" != "xno"; then
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([Python prefix])
-    PYTHON_PREFIX=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; print (sys.prefix)"`
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_PREFIX])
-
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([Python version])
-    PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; print (sys.version_info@<:@0@:>@)"`
-    PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; print (sys.version_info@<:@1@:>@)"`
-    PYTHON_VERSION="$PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR.$PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR"
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_VERSION])
-
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python include path])
-    if test -z "$PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR"; then
-        python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-                                 print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc ());"`
-        PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR=$python_path
-    fi
-    AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR])
-
-    AC_ARG_WITH([python-installdir],
-                [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-python-installdir],
-		                [directory to install python modules @<:@default=check@:>@])],
-		[PYTHON_INSTALLDIR="$withval"
-		AC_MSG_NOTICE([Python install dir $PYTHON_INSTALLDIR])],
-		[PYTHON_INSTALLDIR=check])
-
-    if test "x$PYTHON_INSTALLDIR" = "xcheck"; then
-        PYTHON_INSTALLDIR=
-        AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python site-packages path])
-        if test -z "$PYTHON_INSTALLDIR"; then
-            PYTHON_INSTALLDIR=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-                                           print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_lib(1,0));"`
-        fi
-        AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_INSTALLDIR])
-    fi
-
-    dnl Look for some optional symbols in libpython.
-    old_LIBS="$LIBS"
-
-    PYTHON_BLDLIBRARY=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
-                                   print (distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('BLDLIBRARY'))"`
-    AC_CHECK_LIB([c],[PyCapsule_New],
-                 [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_PYCAPSULE_NEW],1,
-                            [Found PyCapsule_New in libpython])],
-                 [],[$PYTHON_BLDLIBRARY])
-    AC_CHECK_LIB([c],[PyString_AsString],
-                 [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_PYSTRING_ASSTRING],1,
-                            [Found PyString_AsString in libpython])],
-                 [],[$PYTHON_BLDLIBRARY])
-
-    LIBS="$old_LIBS"
-fi
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([python],
+        AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-python], [Disable Python language bindings]),
+        [],
+        [enable_python=yes])
+AS_IF([test "x$enable_python" != "xno"],
+        [
+        AC_CHECK_PROG([PYTHON],[python],[python],[no])
+
+        if test "x$PYTHON" != "xno"; then
+	    AC_MSG_CHECKING([Python prefix])
+            PYTHON_PREFIX=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; print (sys.prefix)"`
+	    AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_PREFIX])
+
+	    AC_MSG_CHECKING([Python version])
+            PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; print (sys.version_info@<:@0@:>@)"`
+            PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; print (sys.version_info@<:@1@:>@)"`
+            PYTHON_VERSION="$PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR.$PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR"
+	    AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_VERSION])
+
+            AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python include path])
+            if test -z "$PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR"; then
+                python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
+                                         print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc ());"`
+                PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR=$python_path
+            fi
+            AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR])
+
+            AC_ARG_WITH([python-installdir],
+                        [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-python-installdir],
+			                [directory to install python modules @<:@default=check@:>@])],
+			[PYTHON_INSTALLDIR="$withval"
+			AC_MSG_NOTICE([Python install dir $PYTHON_INSTALLDIR])],
+			[PYTHON_INSTALLDIR=check])
+
+	    if test "x$PYTHON_INSTALLDIR" = "xcheck"; then
+	        PYTHON_INSTALLDIR=
+                AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python site-packages path])
+                if test -z "$PYTHON_INSTALLDIR"; then
+                    PYTHON_INSTALLDIR=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
+                                                   print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_lib(1,0));"`
+                fi
+                AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_INSTALLDIR])
+            fi
 
-AC_SUBST(PYTHON_PREFIX)
-AC_SUBST(PYTHON_VERSION)
-AC_SUBST(PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR)
-AC_SUBST(PYTHON_INSTALLDIR)
+            dnl Look for some optional symbols in libpython.
+            old_LIBS="$LIBS"
+
+            PYTHON_BLDLIBRARY=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
+                                           print (distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('BLDLIBRARY'))"`
+            AC_CHECK_LIB([c],[PyCapsule_New],
+                         [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_PYCAPSULE_NEW],1,
+                                    [Found PyCapsule_New in libpython])],
+                         [],[$PYTHON_BLDLIBRARY])
+            AC_CHECK_LIB([c],[PyString_AsString],
+                         [AC_DEFINE([HAVE_PYSTRING_ASSTRING],1,
+                                    [Found PyString_AsString in libpython])],
+                         [],[$PYTHON_BLDLIBRARY])
+
+            LIBS="$old_LIBS"
+        fi
 
+        AC_SUBST(PYTHON_PREFIX)
+        AC_SUBST(PYTHON_VERSION)
+        AC_SUBST(PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR)
+        AC_SUBST(PYTHON_INSTALLDIR)
+        ])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PYTHON],
     [test "x$PYTHON" != "xno" && test "x$PYTHON_INCLUDEDIR" != "x" && test "x$PYTHON_INSTALLDIR" != "x"])