diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index e6b6578d..fcc8f656 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -704,17 +704,23 @@ if test "$with_python" != "no" ; then
         echo Found python in $with_python/bin/python
         PYTHON="$with_python/bin/python"
     else
-	if test -x "$with_python"
-	then
-	    echo Found python in $with_python
-	    PYTHON="$with_python"
-	else
-	    if test -x "$PYTHON"
-	    then
-	        echo Found python in environment PYTHON=$PYTHON
-		with_python=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; print sys.exec_prefix"`
-	    else
-		AC_PATH_PROG(PYTHON, python python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1 python2.0 python1.6 python1.5)
+        if test -x "$with_python/python.exe"
+        then
+            echo Found python in $with_python/python.exe
+            PYTHON="$with_python/python.exe"
+        else
+            if test -x "$with_python"
+            then
+                echo Found python in $with_python
+                PYTHON="$with_python"
+            else
+                if test -x "$PYTHON"
+                then
+                    echo Found python in environment PYTHON=$PYTHON
+                    with_python=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; print sys.exec_prefix"`
+                else
+                    AC_PATH_PROG(PYTHON, python python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1 python2.0 python1.6 python1.5)
+		fi
 	    fi
 	fi
     fi
@@ -741,7 +747,14 @@ if test "$with_python" != "no" ; then
 		    PYTHON_INCLUDES=/usr/include/python$PYTHON_VERSION
 	            PYTHON_SITE_PACKAGES=$libdir/python$PYTHON_VERSION/site-packages
 		else
-		    echo could not find python$PYTHON_VERSION/Python.h
+	            if test -r $with_python/include/Python.h -a \
+	               -d $with_python/lib/site-packages
+	            then
+	                PYTHON_INCLUDES=$with_python/include
+	                PYTHON_SITE_PACKAGES=$with_python/lib/site-packages
+	            else
+		        echo could not find python$PYTHON_VERSION/Python.h or $with_python/include/Python.h
+		    fi
 		fi
 	    fi
 	    if test ! -d "$PYTHON_SITE_PACKAGES"
@@ -1397,6 +1410,7 @@ WIN32_EXTRA_LIBADD=
 WIN32_EXTRA_LDFLAGS=
 CYGWIN_EXTRA_LDFLAGS=
 CYGWIN_EXTRA_PYTHON_LIBADD=
+WIN32_EXTRA_PYTHON_LIBADD=
 case "$host" in
  *-*-mingw*)
  CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -DWIN32"
@@ -1405,6 +1419,10 @@ case "$host" in
  AC_DEFINE([_WINSOCKAPI_],1,[Using the Win32 Socket implementation])
  AC_DEFINE([snprintf],[_snprintf],[Win32 Std C name mangling work-around])
  AC_DEFINE([vsnprintf],[_vsnprintf],[Win32 Std C name mangling work-around])
+ if test "${PYTHON}" != ""
+ then
+   WIN32_EXTRA_PYTHON_LIBADD="-L${pythondir}/../../libs -lpython${PYTHON_VERSION//./}"
+ fi
  ;;
  *-*-cygwin*)
  CYGWIN_EXTRA_LDFLAGS="-no-undefined"
@@ -1416,6 +1434,7 @@ case "$host" in
 esac
 AC_SUBST(WIN32_EXTRA_LIBADD)
 AC_SUBST(WIN32_EXTRA_LDFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(WIN32_EXTRA_PYTHON_LIBADD)
 AC_SUBST(CYGWIN_EXTRA_LDFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(CYGWIN_EXTRA_PYTHON_LIBADD)
 
diff --git a/python/Makefile.am b/python/Makefile.am
index 3cf87e7c..d2a22534 100644
--- a/python/Makefile.am
+++ b/python/Makefile.am
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ python_LTLIBRARIES = libxml2mod.la
 
 libxml2mod_la_SOURCES = $(srcdir)/libxml.c $(srcdir)/types.c
 nodist_libxml2mod_la_SOURCES = libxml2-py.c
-libxml2mod_la_LIBADD = $(mylibs) @CYGWIN_EXTRA_PYTHON_LIBADD@ @PYTHON_LIBS@
+libxml2mod_la_LIBADD = $(mylibs) @CYGWIN_EXTRA_PYTHON_LIBADD@ @WIN32_EXTRA_PYTHON_LIBADD@ @PYTHON_LIBS@
 
 $(srcdir)/libxml.c: libxml2-py.h # to generate before to compile