diff --git a/cmake/FindPython.cmake b/cmake/FindPython.cmake
index 884c492c6..fc9fd89ff 100644
--- a/cmake/FindPython.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FindPython.cmake
@@ -34,43 +34,50 @@ IF(PYTHON_FOUND)
 ENDIF(PYTHON_FOUND)
 
 FIND_PROGRAM(PYTHON_EXECUTABLE
-  NAMES python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python
+  NAMES python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python
   PATHS /usr/bin /usr/local/bin /usr/pkg/bin
   )
 
 IF(PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
   EXECUTE_PROCESS(
-    COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print(get_config_var('CONFINCLUDEPY'))"
+    COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; from distutils.sysconfig import *; sys.stdout.write(get_config_var('CONFINCLUDEPY'))"
     OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_INC_DIR
     )
 
   EXECUTE_PROCESS(
-    COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print(get_config_var('LIBPL'))"
+    COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; from distutils.sysconfig import *; sys.stdout.write(get_config_var('LIBPL'))"
     OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_POSSIBLE_LIB_PATH
     )
 
   EXECUTE_PROCESS(
-    COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print(get_config_var('LINKFORSHARED'))"
+    COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; from distutils.sysconfig import *; sys.stdout.write(get_config_var('LINKFORSHARED'))"
     OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_LFLAGS
     )
 
-  # remove the new lines from the output by replacing them with empty strings
-  STRING(REPLACE "\n" "" PYTHON_INC_DIR "${PYTHON_INC_DIR}")
-  STRING(REPLACE "\n" "" PYTHON_POSSIBLE_LIB_PATH "${PYTHON_POSSIBLE_LIB_PATH}")
-  STRING(REPLACE "\n" "" PYTHON_LFLAGS "${PYTHON_LFLAGS}")
-
   FIND_PATH(PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH
     NAMES Python.h
     PATHS ${PYTHON_INC_DIR}
     )
 
   FIND_LIBRARY(PYTHON_LIBRARY
-    NAMES python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python
+    NAMES python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python
     PATHS ${PYTHON_POSSIBLE_LIB_PATH}
     )
 
   IF(PYTHON_LIBRARY AND PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH)
-    SET(PYTHON_FOUND TRUE)
+    EXECUTE_PROCESS(
+      COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; sys.stdout.write(sys.version[:3])"
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_VERSION
+      )
+    EXECUTE_PROCESS(
+      COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; sys.stdout.write(str(sys.version_info < (2,5)))"
+      OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_OLD_VERSION
+      )
+    IF(${PYTHON_OLD_VERSION} STREQUAL "True")
+      MESSAGE("Python >= 2.5 is needed to build python plugin, version found: ${PYTHON_VERSION}")
+    ELSE()
+      SET(PYTHON_FOUND TRUE)
+    ENDIF(${PYTHON_OLD_VERSION} STREQUAL "True")
   ENDIF(PYTHON_LIBRARY AND PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH)
 
   MARK_AS_ADVANCED(
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 219e74646..3d495308f 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ fi
 PYTHON_VERSION=
 
 if test "x$enable_python" = "xyes" ; then
-    AC_PATH_PROGS(PYTHON, python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python)
+    AC_PATH_PROGS(PYTHON, python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python2 python)
     if test -z $PYTHON ; then
         AC_MSG_WARN([
 *** Python must be installed on your system but python interpreter couldn't be found in path.
@@ -474,41 +474,49 @@ if test "x$enable_python" = "xyes" ; then
         enable_python="no"
         not_found="$not_found python"
     else
-        PYTHON_SYSPREFIX=`$PYTHON -c 'import sys; print "%s" % sys.prefix'`
-        PYTHON_VERSION=`$PYTHON -c 'import sys ; print sys.version[[:3]]'`
-        PYTHON_INCLUDE=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig,string; print distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('CONFINCLUDEPY')"`
-
-        AC_MSG_CHECKING(for Python header files)
-        if test -r "$PYTHON_INCLUDE/Python.h"; then
-            PYTHON_CFLAGS="-I$PYTHON_INCLUDE"
-            AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
-            PYTHON_LIB=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBPL')"`
-            PYTHON_LFLAGS="-lpython$PYTHON_VERSION "`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBS')+' '+distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('SYSLIBS')+' '+distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LINKFORSHARED')"`
-            AC_MSG_CHECKING(for Python library)
-            if test -r "$PYTHON_LIB/libpython$PYTHON_VERSION.so"; then
-               PYTHON_LFLAGS="-L$PYTHON_LIB $PYTHON_LFLAGS"
-               AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
-            elif test -r "$PYTHON_LIB/libpython$PYTHON_VERSION.a"; then
-               PYTHON_LFLAGS="-L$PYTHON_LIB $PYTHON_LFLAGS"
-               AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
-            elif test -r "$PYTHON_SYSPREFIX/lib/libpython$PYTHON_VERSION.so"; then
-               PYTHON_LFLAGS="-L$PYTHON_SYSPREFIX/lib/ $PYTHON_LFLAGS"
-               AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
-            else
-                AC_MSG_WARN([
+        PYTHON_SYSPREFIX=`$PYTHON -c 'import sys; sys.stdout.write("%s" % sys.prefix)'`
+        PYTHON_VERSION=`$PYTHON -c 'import sys; sys.stdout.write(sys.version[[:3]])'`
+        PYTHON_INCLUDE=`$PYTHON -c "import sys, distutils.sysconfig, string; sys.stdout.write(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('CONFINCLUDEPY'))"`
+        PYTHON_OLD_VERSION=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; sys.stdout.write(str(sys.version_info < (2,5)))"`
+        if test "x$PYTHON_OLD_VERSION" = "xTrue" ; then
+            AC_MSG_WARN([
+*** Python >= 2.5 is needed to build Python plugin, version found: $PYTHON_VERSION.
+*** WeeChat will be built without Python support.])
+            enable_python="no"
+            not_found="$not_found python"
+        else
+            AC_MSG_CHECKING(for Python header files)
+            if test -r "$PYTHON_INCLUDE/Python.h"; then
+                PYTHON_CFLAGS="-I$PYTHON_INCLUDE"
+                AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
+                PYTHON_LIB=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBPL')"`
+                PYTHON_LFLAGS="-lpython$PYTHON_VERSION "`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; print distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBS')+' '+distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('SYSLIBS')+' '+distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LINKFORSHARED')"`
+                AC_MSG_CHECKING(for Python library)
+                if test -r "$PYTHON_LIB/libpython$PYTHON_VERSION.so"; then
+                   PYTHON_LFLAGS="-L$PYTHON_LIB $PYTHON_LFLAGS"
+                   AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
+                elif test -r "$PYTHON_LIB/libpython$PYTHON_VERSION.a"; then
+                   PYTHON_LFLAGS="-L$PYTHON_LIB $PYTHON_LFLAGS"
+                   AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
+                elif test -r "$PYTHON_SYSPREFIX/lib/libpython$PYTHON_VERSION.so"; then
+                   PYTHON_LFLAGS="-L$PYTHON_SYSPREFIX/lib/ $PYTHON_LFLAGS"
+                   AC_MSG_RESULT(found)
+                else
+                    AC_MSG_WARN([
 *** Python library couldn't be found on your system.
 *** Try to install it with your software package manager.
+*** WeeChat will be built without Python support.])
+                    enable_python="no"
+                    not_found="$not_found python"
+                fi
+            else
+                AC_MSG_WARN([
+*** Python header files couldn't be found on your system.
+*** Try to install them with your software package manager.
 *** WeeChat will be built without Python support.])
                 enable_python="no"
                 not_found="$not_found python"
             fi
-        else
-            AC_MSG_WARN([
-*** Python header files couldn't be found on your system.
-*** Try to install them with your software package manager.
-*** WeeChat will be built without Python support.])
-            enable_python="no"
-            not_found="$not_found python"
         fi
     fi
 else