diff --git a/lib/python/Makefile.lammps b/lib/python/Makefile.lammps
index 897e631a5d..8538994694 100644
--- a/lib/python/Makefile.lammps
+++ b/lib/python/Makefile.lammps
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Settings that the LAMMPS build will import when this package library is used
 # See the README file for more explanation
 
-python_SYSINC = -I/usr/local/include/python2.7
-python_SYSLIB = -lpython2.7 -lnsl -ldl -lreadline -ltermcap -lpthread -lutil -lm
-python_SYSPATH = 
+python_SYSINC = $(shell which python2-config > /dev/null 2>&1 && python2-config --includes || python-config --includes )
+python_SYSLIB = $(shell which python2-config > /dev/null 2>&1 && python2-config --ldflags || python-config --ldflags)
+python_SYSPATH =
diff --git a/lib/python/Makefile.lammps.auto b/lib/python/Makefile.lammps.auto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8538994694
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/python/Makefile.lammps.auto
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# Settings that the LAMMPS build will import when this package library is used
+# See the README file for more explanation
+
+python_SYSINC = $(shell which python2-config > /dev/null 2>&1 && python2-config --includes || python-config --includes )
+python_SYSLIB = $(shell which python2-config > /dev/null 2>&1 && python2-config --ldflags || python-config --ldflags)
+python_SYSPATH =