diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c76cb4790f..840d7f894b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -6806,8 +6806,10 @@ $as_echo "no" >&6; }
 fi
 
 
-# Extract the first word of "python", so it can be a program name with args.
-set dummy python; ac_word=$2
+for ac_prog in python2.7 python2 python python3
+do
+  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_path_PYTHON+:} false; then :
@@ -6833,7 +6835,6 @@ done
   done
 IFS=$as_save_IFS
 
-  test -z "$ac_cv_path_PYTHON" && ac_cv_path_PYTHON=":"
   ;;
 esac
 fi
@@ -6847,6 +6848,10 @@ $as_echo "no" >&6; }
 fi
 
 
+  test -n "$PYTHON" && break
+done
+test -n "$PYTHON" || PYTHON=":"
+
 # Extract the first word of "find", so it can be a program name with args.
 set dummy find; ac_word=$2
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
@@ -25944,10 +25949,187 @@ fi
 
 
    fi
+
+   if test "x$PBX_PJPROJECT" = "x1" ; then
+      if test "x${AST_DEVMODE}" = "xyes" ; then
+
+
+
+   if test "x${PBX_PYTHONDEV}" != "x1" -a "${USE_PYTHONDEV}" != "no"; then
+
+pkg_failed=no
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for PYTHONDEV" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for PYTHONDEV... " >&6; }
+
+if test -n "$PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS"; then
+    pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS="$PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS"
+ elif test -n "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+    if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG" && \
+    { { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors \"python-2.7\""; } >&5
+  ($PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors "python-2.7") 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  test $ac_status = 0; }; then
+  pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS=`$PKG_CONFIG --cflags "python-2.7" 2>/dev/null`
+		      test "x$?" != "x0" && pkg_failed=yes
+else
+  pkg_failed=yes
+fi
+ else
+    pkg_failed=untried
+fi
+if test -n "$PYTHONDEV_LIBS"; then
+    pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_LIBS="$PYTHONDEV_LIBS"
+ elif test -n "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+    if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG" && \
+    { { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors \"python-2.7\""; } >&5
+  ($PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors "python-2.7") 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  test $ac_status = 0; }; then
+  pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_LIBS=`$PKG_CONFIG --libs "python-2.7" 2>/dev/null`
+		      test "x$?" != "x0" && pkg_failed=yes
+else
+  pkg_failed=yes
+fi
+ else
+    pkg_failed=untried
 fi
 
 
 
+if test $pkg_failed = yes; then
+   	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+
+if $PKG_CONFIG --atleast-pkgconfig-version 0.20; then
+        _pkg_short_errors_supported=yes
+else
+        _pkg_short_errors_supported=no
+fi
+        if test $_pkg_short_errors_supported = yes; then
+	        PYTHONDEV_PKG_ERRORS=`$PKG_CONFIG --short-errors --print-errors --cflags --libs "python-2.7" 2>&1`
+        else
+	        PYTHONDEV_PKG_ERRORS=`$PKG_CONFIG --print-errors --cflags --libs "python-2.7" 2>&1`
+        fi
+	# Put the nasty error message in config.log where it belongs
+	echo "$PYTHONDEV_PKG_ERRORS" >&5
+
+
+            PBX_PYTHONDEV=0
+
+
+elif test $pkg_failed = untried; then
+     	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+
+            PBX_PYTHONDEV=0
+
+
+else
+	PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS=$pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS
+	PYTHONDEV_LIBS=$pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_LIBS
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
+
+            PBX_PYTHONDEV=1
+            PYTHONDEV_INCLUDE=$(echo ${PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS} | $SED -e "s|-std=c99||g")
+            PYTHONDEV_LIB="$PYTHONDEV_LIBS"
+
+$as_echo "#define HAVE_PYTHONDEV 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+
+fi
+   fi
+
+
+   if test "x${PBX_PYTHONDEV}" != "x1" -a "${USE_PYTHONDEV}" != "no"; then
+
+pkg_failed=no
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for PYTHONDEV" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for PYTHONDEV... " >&6; }
+
+if test -n "$PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS"; then
+    pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS="$PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS"
+ elif test -n "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+    if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG" && \
+    { { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors \"python2\""; } >&5
+  ($PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors "python2") 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  test $ac_status = 0; }; then
+  pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS=`$PKG_CONFIG --cflags "python2" 2>/dev/null`
+		      test "x$?" != "x0" && pkg_failed=yes
+else
+  pkg_failed=yes
+fi
+ else
+    pkg_failed=untried
+fi
+if test -n "$PYTHONDEV_LIBS"; then
+    pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_LIBS="$PYTHONDEV_LIBS"
+ elif test -n "$PKG_CONFIG"; then
+    if test -n "$PKG_CONFIG" && \
+    { { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors \"python2\""; } >&5
+  ($PKG_CONFIG --exists --print-errors "python2") 2>&5
+  ac_status=$?
+  $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  test $ac_status = 0; }; then
+  pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_LIBS=`$PKG_CONFIG --libs "python2" 2>/dev/null`
+		      test "x$?" != "x0" && pkg_failed=yes
+else
+  pkg_failed=yes
+fi
+ else
+    pkg_failed=untried
+fi
+
+
+
+if test $pkg_failed = yes; then
+   	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+
+if $PKG_CONFIG --atleast-pkgconfig-version 0.20; then
+        _pkg_short_errors_supported=yes
+else
+        _pkg_short_errors_supported=no
+fi
+        if test $_pkg_short_errors_supported = yes; then
+	        PYTHONDEV_PKG_ERRORS=`$PKG_CONFIG --short-errors --print-errors --cflags --libs "python2" 2>&1`
+        else
+	        PYTHONDEV_PKG_ERRORS=`$PKG_CONFIG --print-errors --cflags --libs "python2" 2>&1`
+        fi
+	# Put the nasty error message in config.log where it belongs
+	echo "$PYTHONDEV_PKG_ERRORS" >&5
+
+
+            PBX_PYTHONDEV=0
+
+
+elif test $pkg_failed = untried; then
+     	{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+
+            PBX_PYTHONDEV=0
+
+
+else
+	PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS=$pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS
+	PYTHONDEV_LIBS=$pkg_cv_PYTHONDEV_LIBS
+        { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
+$as_echo "yes" >&6; }
+
+            PBX_PYTHONDEV=1
+            PYTHONDEV_INCLUDE=$(echo ${PYTHONDEV_CFLAGS} | $SED -e "s|-std=c99||g")
+            PYTHONDEV_LIB="$PYTHONDEV_LIBS"
+
+$as_echo "#define HAVE_PYTHONDEV 1" >>confdefs.h
+
+
+fi
+   fi
+
 
    if test "x${PBX_PYTHONDEV}" != "x1" -a "${USE_PYTHONDEV}" != "no"; then
 
@@ -26036,6 +26218,16 @@ $as_echo "#define HAVE_PYTHONDEV 1" >>confdefs.h
 fi
    fi
 
+         # The PJProject offers a C extension to Python. That wrapper is used by the
+         # Asterisk Test Framework, which requires Asterisk to be in Developer Mode.
+         # However, the used wrapper (called 'PJSUA Python') is deprecated and was not
+         # ported from Python 2.7 to Python 3.x. This is confirmed; it simply does not
+         # build. For more see <http://www.pjsip.org/trac/wiki/Python_SIP_Tutorial>.
+         # Therefore, the C libraries for Python 3 are of no help in Asterisk:
+         #AST_PKG_CONFIG_CHECK([PYTHONDEV], [python3])
+      fi
+   fi
+fi
 
 
 if test "x${PBX_POPT}" != "x1" -a "${USE_POPT}" != "no"; then
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index dc94fdd6c5..71d3eb413a 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ AC_PATH_PROG([CAT], [cat], :)
 AC_PATH_PROG([CUT], [cut], :)
 AC_PATH_PROG([FLEX], [flex], :)
 AC_PATH_PROG([GREP], [grep], :)
-AC_PATH_PROG([PYTHON], [python], :)
+AC_PATH_PROGS([PYTHON], [python2.7 python2 python python3], :)
 AC_PATH_PROG([FIND], [find], :)
 AC_PATH_PROG([BASENAME], [basename], :)
 AC_PATH_PROG([DIRNAME], [dirname], :)
@@ -2431,11 +2431,24 @@ if test "$USE_PJPROJECT" != "no" ; then
       AST_EXT_LIB_CHECK([PJSIP_AUTH_CLT_DEINIT], [pjsip], [pjsip_auth_clt_deinit], [pjsip.h], [$PJPROJECT_LIB], [$PJPROJECT_CFLAGS])
       AST_EXT_LIB_CHECK([PJSIP_TSX_LAYER_FIND_TSX2], [pjsip], [pjsip_tsx_layer_find_tsx2], [pjsip.h], [$PJPROJECT_LIB], [$PJPROJECT_CFLAGS])
    fi
-fi
 
-AC_SUBST([PYTHONDEV_LIB])
-AC_SUBST([PYTHONDEV_INCLUDE])
-AST_PKG_CONFIG_CHECK([PYTHONDEV], [python])
+   if test "x$PBX_PJPROJECT" = "x1" ; then
+      if test "x${AST_DEVMODE}" = "xyes" ; then
+         AC_SUBST([PYTHONDEV_LIB])
+         AC_SUBST([PYTHONDEV_INCLUDE])
+         AST_PKG_CONFIG_CHECK([PYTHONDEV], [python-2.7])
+         AST_PKG_CONFIG_CHECK([PYTHONDEV], [python2])
+         AST_PKG_CONFIG_CHECK([PYTHONDEV], [python])
+         # The PJProject offers a C extension to Python. That wrapper is used by the
+         # Asterisk Test Framework, which requires Asterisk to be in Developer Mode.
+         # However, the used wrapper (called 'PJSUA Python') is deprecated and was not
+         # ported from Python 2.7 to Python 3.x. This is confirmed; it simply does not
+         # build. For more see <http://www.pjsip.org/trac/wiki/Python_SIP_Tutorial>.
+         # Therefore, the C libraries for Python 3 are of no help in Asterisk:
+         #AST_PKG_CONFIG_CHECK([PYTHONDEV], [python3])
+      fi
+   fi
+fi
 
 AST_EXT_LIB_CHECK([POPT], [popt], [poptStrerror], [popt.h])
 
diff --git a/contrib/scripts/install_prereq b/contrib/scripts/install_prereq
index 3f1f58f57d..323d7a75e1 100755
--- a/contrib/scripts/install_prereq
+++ b/contrib/scripts/install_prereq
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ PACKAGES_DEBIAN="$PACKAGES_DEBIAN libresample1-dev libc-client2007e-dev binutils
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_DEBIAN="$PACKAGES_DEBIAN wget subversion"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_DEBIAN="$PACKAGES_DEBIAN bzip2 patch python-dev"
+PACKAGES_DEBIAN="$PACKAGES_DEBIAN bzip2 patch"
 
 # Basic build system:
 PACKAGES_RH="make gcc gcc-c++ pkgconfig"
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ PACKAGES_RH="$PACKAGES_RH libresample-devel uw-imap-devel binutils-devel libsrtp
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_RH="$PACKAGES_RH wget subversion"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_RH="$PACKAGES_RH bzip2 patch python-devel"
+PACKAGES_RH="$PACKAGES_RH bzip2 patch"
 
 # Basic build system:
 PACKAGES_SUSE="make gcc gcc-c++ pkg-config"
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ PACKAGES_SUSE="$PACKAGES_SUSE imap-devel libsrtp2-devel libgsm-devel doxygen gra
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_SUSE="$PACKAGES_SUSE wget subversion"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_SUSE="$PACKAGES_SUSE bzip2 patch python-devel"
+PACKAGES_SUSE="$PACKAGES_SUSE bzip2 patch"
 
 # Basic build system:
 PACKAGES_ARCH="make gcc pkg-config"
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ PACKAGES_ARCH="$PACKAGES_ARCH c-client binutils libsrtp gsm doxygen graphviz zli
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_ARCH="$PACKAGES_ARCH wget subversion"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_ARCH="$PACKAGES_ARCH bzip2 patch python2"
+PACKAGES_ARCH="$PACKAGES_ARCH bzip2 patch"
 
 # Basic build system:
 PACKAGES_GENTOO="sys-devel/make sys-devel/gcc dev-util/pkgconfig"
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ PACKAGES_GENTOO="$PACKAGES_GENTOO net-libs/c-client sys-devel/binutils net-libs/
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_GENTOO="$PACKAGES_GENTOO net-misc/wget dev-vcs/subversion"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_GENTOO="$PACKAGES_GENTOO app-arch/bzip2 sys-devel/patch dev-lang/python:2.7"
+PACKAGES_GENTOO="$PACKAGES_GENTOO app-arch/bzip2 sys-devel/patch"
 
 # Basic build system:
 PACKAGES_NBSD="gmake pkg-config"
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ PACKAGES_NBSD="$PACKAGES_NBSD imap-uw srtp gsm doxygen graphviz libzip openldap-
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_NBSD="$PACKAGES_NBSD wget subversion-base"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_NBSD="$PACKAGES_NBSD bzip2 patch python27"
+PACKAGES_NBSD="$PACKAGES_NBSD bzip2 patch"
 
 # Basic build system:
 PACKAGES_OBSD="gmake"
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ PACKAGES_OBSD="$PACKAGES_OBSD c-client libsrtp gsm doxygen graphviz"
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_OBSD="$PACKAGES_OBSD wget subversion"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_OBSD="$PACKAGES_OBSD bzip2 python%2"
+PACKAGES_OBSD="$PACKAGES_OBSD bzip2"
 
 # Basic build system:
 PACKAGES_FBSD="gmake pkgconf"
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ PACKAGES_FBSD="$PACKAGES_FBSD cclient libbfd libsrtp gsm libilbc doxygen graphvi
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_FBSD="$PACKAGES_FBSD wget subversion"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_FBSD="$PACKAGES_FBSD bzip2 patch python"
+PACKAGES_FBSD="$PACKAGES_FBSD bzip2 patch"
 
 # Basic build system:
 PACKAGES_DBSD="gmake pkgconf"
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ PACKAGES_DBSD="$PACKAGES_DBSD cclient binutils libsrtp gsm libilbc doxygen graph
 # Asterisk: for the unpackaged below:
 PACKAGES_DBSD="$PACKAGES_DBSD wget subversion"
 # Asterisk: for ./configure --with-pjproject-bundled:
-PACKAGES_DBSD="$PACKAGES_DBSD bzip2 patch python"
+PACKAGES_DBSD="$PACKAGES_DBSD bzip2 patch"
 
 KVERS=`uname -r`