diff --git a/buildtools/wafsamba/samba_python.py b/buildtools/wafsamba/samba_python.py
index b29a9d75745..db9634015ec 100644
--- a/buildtools/wafsamba/samba_python.py
+++ b/buildtools/wafsamba/samba_python.py
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ from waflib.Configure import conf
 
 @conf
 def SAMBA_CHECK_PYTHON(conf, mandatory=True, version=(2,6,0)):
+
+    if not mandatory:
+        version=(2,6,0)
+
     # enable tool to build python extensions
     if conf.env.HAVE_PYTHON_H:
         conf.check_python_version(version)
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index 4a5fc421baa..ff6dae23330 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ def configure(conf):
         if not (Options.options.without_ad_dc):
             raise Errors.WafError('--disable-python requires --without-ad-dc')
 
-    conf.SAMBA_CHECK_PYTHON(mandatory=True, version=(2, 6, 0))
+    conf.SAMBA_CHECK_PYTHON(mandatory=not conf.env.disable_python,
+                            version=(2, 6, 0))
     conf.SAMBA_CHECK_PYTHON_HEADERS(mandatory=(not conf.env.disable_python))
 
     if sys.platform == 'darwin' and not conf.env['HAVE_ENVIRON_DECL']: