diff --git a/m4/ax_python_devel.m4 b/m4/ax_python_devel.m4
index de992c88..b990d5b3 100644
--- a/m4/ax_python_devel.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_python_devel.m4
@@ -195,8 +195,11 @@ EOD`
 		fi
 
 		# Make the versioning information available to the compiler
-		AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HAVE_PYTHON], ["$ac_python_version"],
-                                   [If available, contains the Python version number currently in use.])
+
+		# JW: We don't need it and it interferes with the hack
+		# to detect multiple Pyhton versions
+		#AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([HAVE_PYTHON], ["$ac_python_version"],
+                #                  [If available, contains the Python version number currently in use.])
 
 		# First, the library directory:
 		ac_python_libdir=`cat<<EOD | $PYTHON -
diff --git a/m4/python.m4 b/m4/python.m4
index 790e68ba..13962f48 100644
--- a/m4/python.m4
+++ b/m4/python.m4
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ AC_DEFUN([AM_PATH_PYTHON],
   dnl Find a Python interpreter.  Python versions prior to 2.0 are not
   dnl supported. (2.0 was released on October 16, 2000).
   m4_define_default([_AM_PYTHON_INTERPRETER_LIST],
-[python python2 python3 python3.3 python3.2 python3.1 python3.0 python2.7 dnl
- python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1 python2.0])
+[python2.7 python2 python3.0 python3.1 python3.2 python3.3 python3.4 dnl
+ python3.5 python3.6 python3.7 python3.8 python3 python])
 
   AC_ARG_VAR([PYTHON], [the Python interpreter])