diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5eff5a00..a7eae216 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -425,6 +425,7 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_PERL],[test x$VALID_PERL = xyes])
 
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([python],[AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-python],[build without the python bindings])],[enable_python=$enableval],[enable_python=check])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([python-integration],[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-python-integration],[install the python bindings in the interpreters site-packages folder])],[enable_python_integration=$enableval],[enable_python_integration=check])
 
 VALID_PYTHON=
 
@@ -440,9 +441,9 @@ elif test "x$SWIG" = xswig && test "x$enable_python" != xno && test "x$DISABLE_B
 		AX_PYTHON_DEVEL
 		if test "x$PYTHON" = x ; then
 			if test "x$enable_python" = xyes ; then
-				AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not determine the Python.h location])
+				AC_MSG_ERROR([Incomplete python development package])
 			else
-				AC_MSG_WARN([Could not determine the Python.h location])
+				AC_MSG_WARN([Incomplete python development package])
 			fi
 			VALID_PYTHON=no
 		else
@@ -463,6 +464,11 @@ PYTHON_LIBS_FIXED="'`echo $PYTHON_LDFLAGS | sed -e "s/ \{1,\}/','/g" -e "s/-l//g
 #echo "PYTHON_INCLUDE_FIXED: $PYTHON_INCLUDE_FIXED"
 #echo "PYTHON_LIBS_FIXED: $PYTHON_LIBS_FIXED"
 
+if test "x$enable_python_integration" = xyes ; then
+	pythondir=$PYTHON_SITE_PKG
+	pyexecdir=$PYTHON_SITE_PKG_EXEC
+fi
+
 AC_SUBST(PYTHON_INCLUDE_FIXED)
 AC_SUBST(PYTHON_LIBS_FIXED)
 AC_SUBST(PYTHON_XRL_VERSION,$VERSION)
diff --git a/m4/m4-ax_python_devel.m4 b/m4/m4-ax_python_devel.m4
index ea092027..4ba4e030 100644
--- a/m4/m4-ax_python_devel.m4
+++ b/m4/m4-ax_python_devel.m4
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ EOD`
 	# Check for site packages
 	#
 	if test x$PYTHON != x ; then
-	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python site-packages path])
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python site-packages scripts path])
 	if test -z "$PYTHON_SITE_PKG"; then
 		PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
 		        print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_lib(0,0));"`
@@ -272,6 +272,17 @@ EOD`
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
 	AC_SUBST([PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
 
+	#
+	# Check for site exec packages
+	#
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python site-packages extension modules path])
+	if test -z "$PYTHON_SITE_PKG_EXEC"; then
+		PYTHON_SITE_PKG_EXEC=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
+		        print (distutils.sysconfig.get_python_lib(1,0));"`
+	fi
+	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_SITE_PKG_EXEC])
+	AC_SUBST([PYTHON_SITE_PKG_EXEC])
+
 	#
 	# libraries which must be linked in when embedding
 	#