diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9a6f9636..a1dbce54 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -170,7 +170,10 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([external_tests],
 				[Include the VTY/CTRL tests in make check [default=no]]),
 		[enable_ext_tests="$enableval"],[enable_ext_tests="no"])
 if test "x$enable_ext_tests" = "xyes" ; then
-	AM_PATH_PYTHON
+	AC_CHECK_PROG(PYTHON2_AVAIL,python2,yes)
+	 if test "x$PYTHON2_AVAIL" != "xyes" ; then
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([Please install python2 to run the VTY/CTRL tests.])
+	fi
 	AC_CHECK_PROG(OSMOTESTEXT_CHECK,osmotestvty.py,yes)
 	 if test "x$OSMOTESTEXT_CHECK" != "xyes" ; then
 		AC_MSG_ERROR([Please install git://osmocom.org/python/osmo-python-tests to run the VTY/CTRL tests.])
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 10bb916f..3cd8bffe 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ if ENABLE_EXT_TESTS
 python-tests: $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 	osmotestvty.py -p $(abs_top_srcdir) -w $(abs_top_builddir) -v
 	osmotestconfig.py -p $(abs_top_srcdir) -w $(abs_top_builddir) -v
-	$(PYTHON) $(srcdir)/vty_test_runner.py -w $(abs_top_builddir) -v
-	$(PYTHON) $(srcdir)/ctrl_test_runner.py -w $(abs_top_builddir) -v
+	$(srcdir)/vty_test_runner.py -w $(abs_top_builddir) -v
+	$(srcdir)/ctrl_test_runner.py -w $(abs_top_builddir) -v
 	rm -f $(top_builddir)/sms.db $(top_builddir)/gsn_restart $(top_builddir)/gtphub_restart_count
 else
 python-tests: $(BUILT_SOURCES)
diff --git a/tests/ctrl_test_runner.py b/tests/ctrl_test_runner.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 7c64f488..e9d73ff2
--- a/tests/ctrl_test_runner.py
+++ b/tests/ctrl_test_runner.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
 
 # (C) 2013 by Jacob Erlbeck <jerlbeck@sysmocom.de>
 # (C) 2014 by Holger Hans Peter Freyther
diff --git a/tests/vty_test_runner.py b/tests/vty_test_runner.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 9b8c5606..eeb151c3
--- a/tests/vty_test_runner.py
+++ b/tests/vty_test_runner.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
 
 # (C) 2013 by Katerina Barone-Adesi <kat.obsc@gmail.com>
 # (C) 2013 by Holger Hans Peter Freyther