diff --git a/bindings/python/CMakeLists.txt b/bindings/python/CMakeLists.txt
index 79b64eed86296603ce4ebd27dfcda7c774d41599..1f06042875f41132e8b8fd7aeea92ba62fb454e2 100644
--- a/bindings/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/bindings/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ if(NOT BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
   message(ERROR "Python bindings are only supported for shared libraries")
 endif()
 
+set(Python_ADDITIONAL_VERSIONS 3 2.7)
+find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
 find_package(PythonLibsNew REQUIRED)
 
 pybind11_add_module(adios2py MODULE
@@ -28,6 +30,9 @@ endif()
 string(REGEX REPLACE "^${PYTHON_PREFIX}/" ""
   CMAKE_INSTALL_PYTHONDIR "${PYTHON_SITE_PACKAGES}"
 )
+set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PYTHONDIR "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PYTHONDIR}"
+  CACHE INTERNAL "" FORCE
+)
 set_target_properties(adios2py PROPERTIES
   OUTPUT_NAME adios2
   LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${ADIOS2_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_PYTHONDIR}
diff --git a/cmake/DetectOptions.cmake b/cmake/DetectOptions.cmake
index eeff01f4fe581f4c40343fec4efa27581a259486..a484a5957f7c862b724cd102639b6339e7460c98 100644
--- a/cmake/DetectOptions.cmake
+++ b/cmake/DetectOptions.cmake
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ list(INSERT CMAKE_MODULE_PATH 0
 )
 if(ADIOS2_USE_Python STREQUAL AUTO)
   if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    set(Python_ADDITIONAL_VERSIONS 3 2.7)
+    find_package(PythonInterp)
     find_package(PythonLibsNew)
     if(PYTHONLIBS_FOUND)
       if(ADIOS2_HAVE_MPI)
@@ -115,12 +117,12 @@ endif()
 if(ADIOS2_USE_SysVShMem STREQUAL AUTO)
   if(UNIX)
     include(CheckSymbolExists)
-	CHECK_SYMBOL_EXISTS(shmget "sys/ipc.h;sys/shm.h" HAVE_shmget)
-	if(HAVE_shmget)
-	  set(ADIOS2_HAVE_SysVShMem ON)
-	else()
-	  set(ADIOS2_HAVE_SysVShMem OFF)
-	endif()
+    CHECK_SYMBOL_EXISTS(shmget "sys/ipc.h;sys/shm.h" HAVE_shmget)
+    if(HAVE_shmget)
+      set(ADIOS2_HAVE_SysVShMem ON)
+    else()
+      set(ADIOS2_HAVE_SysVShMem OFF)
+    endif()
   else()
     set(ADIOS2_HAVE_SysVShMem OFF)
   endif()