diff --git a/doc/m4/ax_python.m4 b/doc/m4/ax_python.m4
index f9a513591..ebfb8d67e 100644
--- a/doc/m4/ax_python.m4
+++ b/doc/m4/ax_python.m4
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 #   modified version of the Autoconf Macro, you may extend this special
 #   exception to the GPL to apply to your modified version as well.
 
-#serial 9
+#serial 14
 
 AC_DEFUN([AX_PYTHON],
 [AC_MSG_CHECKING(for python build information)
@@ -61,11 +61,12 @@ AC_CHECK_PROGS(PYTHON_BIN, [$python])
 ax_python_bin=$PYTHON_BIN
 if test x$ax_python_bin != x; then
    AC_CHECK_LIB($ax_python_bin, main, ax_python_lib=$ax_python_bin, ax_python_lib=no)
-   AC_CHECK_HEADER([$ax_python_bin/Python.h],
-   [[ax_python_header=`locate $ax_python_bin/Python.h | sed -e s,/Python.h,,`]],
-   ax_python_header=no)
+   if test x$ax_python_lib == xno; then
+     AC_CHECK_LIB(${ax_python_bin}m, main, ax_python_lib=${ax_python_bin}m, ax_python_lib=no)
+   fi
    if test x$ax_python_lib != xno; then
-     if test x$ax_python_header != xno; then
+     ax_python_header=`$ax_python_bin -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print(get_config_var('CONFINCLUDEPY'))"`
+     if test x$ax_python_header != x; then
        break;
      fi
    fi
diff --git a/m4/ax_python.m4 b/m4/ax_python.m4
index 1bc9d8a20..ebfb8d67e 100644
--- a/m4/ax_python.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_python.m4
@@ -51,21 +51,22 @@
 #   modified version of the Autoconf Macro, you may extend this special
 #   exception to the GPL to apply to your modified version as well.
 
-#serial 9
+#serial 14
 
 AC_DEFUN([AX_PYTHON],
 [AC_MSG_CHECKING(for python build information)
 AC_MSG_RESULT([])
-for python in python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1 python; do
+for python in python3.3 python3.2 python3.1 python3.0 python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1 python; do
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(PYTHON_BIN, [$python])
 ax_python_bin=$PYTHON_BIN
 if test x$ax_python_bin != x; then
    AC_CHECK_LIB($ax_python_bin, main, ax_python_lib=$ax_python_bin, ax_python_lib=no)
-   AC_CHECK_HEADER([$ax_python_bin/Python.h],
-   [[ax_python_header=`locate $ax_python_bin/Python.h | sed -e s,/Python.h,,`]],
-   ax_python_header=no)
-   if test $ax_python_lib != no; then
-     if test $ax_python_header != no; then
+   if test x$ax_python_lib == xno; then
+     AC_CHECK_LIB(${ax_python_bin}m, main, ax_python_lib=${ax_python_bin}m, ax_python_lib=no)
+   fi
+   if test x$ax_python_lib != xno; then
+     ax_python_header=`$ax_python_bin -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print(get_config_var('CONFINCLUDEPY'))"`
+     if test x$ax_python_header != x; then
        break;
      fi
    fi