Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/m4/issm_options.m4
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/m4/issm_options.m4	(revision 12784)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/m4/issm_options.m4	(revision 12785)
@@ -324,5 +324,22 @@
 	if test -d "$PYTHON_ROOT"; then
 		dnl defaults
+		HAVE_PYTHON3="no"
 		HAVE_PYTHON=yes
+		
+		AC_ARG_WITH([python-version],
+		  AS_HELP_STRING([--with-python-version = PYTHONVERSION],[python version.]),
+		  [PYTHONVERSION=$withval],[PYTHONVERSION=""])
+		AC_MSG_CHECKING(for python version)
+
+		dnl recover major: 
+		PYTHON_MAJOR=${PYTHONVERSION%.*}
+
+		if test x$PYTHON_MAJOR = x3; then
+			dnl are we running python 3?
+			HAVE_PYTHON3="yes"
+		fi
+		AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([_PYTHON_MAJOR_],$PYTHON_MAJOR,[python version major])
+		AC_MSG_RESULT($PYTHON_MAJOR)
+
 		PYTHONINCL=-I$PYTHON_ROOT/include
 		PYTHONLIB="-L$PYTHON_ROOT/lib -lpython$PYTHONVERSION"
@@ -351,25 +368,7 @@
 	fi
 	AM_CONDITIONAL([PYTHON], [test x$HAVE_PYTHON = xyes])
+	AM_CONDITIONAL([PYTHON3], [test x$HAVE_PYTHON3 = xyes])
 	AC_MSG_RESULT($HAVE_PYTHON)
 
-	dnl python-version
-	HAVE_PYTHON3="no"
-	if test x$HAVE_PYTHON = xyes; then
-		AC_ARG_WITH([python-version],
-		  AS_HELP_STRING([--with-python-version = PYTHONVERSION],[python version.]),
-		  [PYTHONVERSION=$withval],[PYTHONVERSION=""])
-		AC_MSG_CHECKING(for python version)
-
-		dnl recover major: 
-		PYTHON_MAJOR=${PYTHONVERSION%.*}
-
-		if test x$PYTHON_MAJOR = x3; then
-			dnl are we running python 3?
-			HAVE_PYTHON3="yes"
-		fi
-		AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([_PYTHON_MAJOR_],$PYTHON_MAJOR,[python version major])
-		AC_MSG_RESULT($PYTHON_MAJOR)
-	fi
-	AM_CONDITIONAL([PYTHON3], [test x$HAVE_PYTHON3 = xyes])
 	dnl }}}
 	dnl python-numpy{{{