diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 306008044493fd944c42e5919df734f416c33387..10788101efbc003585f82aa981164a93a3cc9948 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -15843,13 +15843,13 @@ ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
 
         if test -n "$PYTHON"; then
       # If the user set $PYTHON, use it and don't search something else.
-      { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether $PYTHON version is >= 2.7" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking whether $PYTHON version is >= 2.7... " >&6; }
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether $PYTHON version is >= 2.6" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking whether $PYTHON version is >= 2.6... " >&6; }
       prog="import sys
 # split strings by '.' and convert to numeric.  Append some zeros
 # because we need at least 4 digits for the hex conversion.
 # map returns an iterator in Python 3.0 and a list in 2.x
-minver = list(map(int, '2.7'.split('.'))) + [0, 0, 0]
+minver = list(map(int, '2.6'.split('.'))) + [0, 0, 0]
 minverhex = 0
 # xrange is not present in Python 3.0 and range returns an iterator
 for i in list(range(0, 4)): minverhex = (minverhex << 8) + minver[i]
@@ -15870,8 +15870,8 @@ fi
     else
       # Otherwise, try each interpreter until we find one that satisfies
       # VERSION.
-      { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for a Python interpreter with version >= 2.7" >&5
-$as_echo_n "checking for a Python interpreter with version >= 2.7... " >&6; }
+      { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for a Python interpreter with version >= 2.6" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for a Python interpreter with version >= 2.6... " >&6; }
 if ${am_cv_pathless_PYTHON+:} false; then :
   $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
 else
@@ -15882,7 +15882,7 @@ else
 # split strings by '.' and convert to numeric.  Append some zeros
 # because we need at least 4 digits for the hex conversion.
 # map returns an iterator in Python 3.0 and a list in 2.x
-minver = list(map(int, '2.7'.split('.'))) + [0, 0, 0]
+minver = list(map(int, '2.6'.split('.'))) + [0, 0, 0]
 minverhex = 0
 # xrange is not present in Python 3.0 and range returns an iterator
 for i in list(range(0, 4)): minverhex = (minverhex << 8) + minver[i]
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4a6452a2c15872b94ac109ffff0cc7c0ef13132f..1954d618c7b74a8a29839fe92cd1fb2136ece02b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL([FCMODUC], [test x"$acx_cv_fc_module_naming_upper" = xyes])
 ACX_FC_MODULE_IN_FLAG([AC_SUBST([FCMODINC], ["$acx_cv_fc_module_in_flag"])])
 AC_LANG_POP([Fortran])
 
-AM_PATH_PYTHON([2.7])
+AM_PATH_PYTHON([2.6])
 
 AC_SEARCH_LIBS([roundf], [m])