diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index ce408bbe..5044a02f 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -540,7 +540,12 @@ VERSION
 if MAKEPYTHON
 all-local: recollpython
 recollpython: librecoll.la
-	${MAKE} -C python/recoll libdir=$(libdir)
+	(cd python/recoll; \
+        set -x; \
+        for v in 2 3;do test -n "`which python$${v}`" && \
+        libdir=$(libdir) python$${v} setup.py build; \
+        done \
+        )
 install-exec-local: recollpython-install
 recollpython-install:
 	(cd python/recoll; \
@@ -548,11 +553,16 @@ recollpython-install:
             OPTSFORPYTHON=--install-layout=deb; \
         fi; \
         set -x; \
-        python setup.py install \
-         --prefix=${prefix} --root=$${DESTDIR:-/} $${OPTSFORPYTHON})
+        for v in 2 3;do test -n "`which python$${v}`" && \
+        python$${v} setup.py install \
+         --prefix=${prefix} --root=$${DESTDIR:-/} $${OPTSFORPYTHON}; \
+        done; \
+         )
 clean-local: recollpython-clean
 recollpython-clean:
 	rm -rf python/recoll/build
+	rm -rf python/recoll/__pycache__
+	rm -f python/recoll/*.pyc
 endif
 
 if MAKEQT
diff --git a/src/configure.ac b/src/configure.ac
index f8e199d8..62927af9 100644
--- a/src/configure.ac
+++ b/src/configure.ac
@@ -523,6 +523,5 @@ AC_SUBST(RCLLIBVERSION)
 AC_CONFIG_FILES(Makefile)
 AC_CONFIG_FILES(common/rclversion.h)
 AC_CONFIG_FILES(python/recoll/setup.py)
-AC_CONFIG_FILES(python/recoll/Makefile)
 
 AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/src/python/recoll/Makefile.in b/src/python/recoll/Makefile.in
deleted file mode 100644
index ac67f56a..00000000
--- a/src/python/recoll/Makefile.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-all:
-	echo libdir: $(libdir)
-	test '@srcdir@' = '.' || cp -rp @srcdir@/recoll .
-	libdir=$(libdir) python setup.py build
-install:
-	sudo python setup.py install
-clean:
-	rm -rf build 
-	rm -f recoll/__init__.pyc
-	rm -rf recoll/__pycache__
-distclean: clean
-	rm -f setup.py 
diff --git a/src/python/recoll/setup.py.in b/src/python/recoll/setup.py.in
index eb49217e..d4d8a1c2 100644
--- a/src/python/recoll/setup.py.in
+++ b/src/python/recoll/setup.py.in
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ setup (name = 'Recoll',
        author_email = 'jfd@recoll.org',
        url = 'http://www.recoll.org',
        license = 'GPL',
+       package_dir = {'' : os.path.join(top, 'python', 'recoll')},
        long_description = '''
 ''',
     packages = ['recoll'],