diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 55289f6..990115b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -41,35 +41,33 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([rst2man],
   AS_HELP_STRING([--with-rst2man=PATH], [Location of rst2man (auto)]),
   [RST2MAN="$withval"],
   AC_CHECK_PROGS(RST2MAN,
-    [rst2man-3.6 rst2man-3 rst2man rst2man.py],
+    [rst2man rst2man.py rst2man-3.6 rst2man-2.7],
     [no]))
 if test "x$RST2MAN" = "xno"; then
   AC_MSG_ERROR(
-    [rst2man is needed to build Varnish, please install python3-docutils.])
+    [rst2man is needed to build Varnish, please install python-docutils.])
 fi
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([sphinx-build],
   AS_HELP_STRING([--with-sphinx-build=PATH], [Location of sphinx-build (auto)]),
   [SPHINX="$withval"],
   AC_CHECK_PROGS(SPHINX,
-    [sphinx-build-3.6 sphinx-build-3 sphinx-build],
+    [sphinx-build sphinx-build-3.6 sphinx-build-2.7],
     [no]))
 if test "x$SPHINX" = "xno"; then
   AC_MSG_ERROR(
-    [sphinx-build is needed to build Varnish, please install python3-sphinx.])
+    [sphinx-build is needed to build Varnish, please install python-sphinx.])
 fi
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([rst2html],
-  AS_HELP_STRING([--with-rst2html=PATH], [Location of rst2html (auto)]),
-  [RST2HTML="$withval"],
-  AC_CHECK_PROGS(RST2HTML,
-     [rst2html-3.6 rst2html-3 rst2html rst2html.py],
-     "no"))
+               AS_HELP_STRING([--with-rst2html=PATH],
+                              [Location of rst2html (auto)]),
+               [RST2HTML="$withval"],
+               [AC_CHECK_PROGS(RST2HTML, [rst2html rst2html.py], "no")
+	        if test "x$RST2HTML" = "xno"; then
+		   AC_MSG_WARN([rst2html not found - not building changelog])
+		fi])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_RST2HTML,[test "x$RST2HTML" != "xno"])
-if test "x$RST2HTML" = "xno"; then
-   AC_MSG_ERROR(
-     [rst2html not found - (Weird, we found rst2man?!)])
-fi
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([dot],
   AS_HELP_STRING([--with-dot=PATH],
diff --git a/doc/sphinx/vtc-syntax.py b/doc/sphinx/vtc-syntax.py
index 8b15ca7..6d4946d 100644
--- a/doc/sphinx/vtc-syntax.py
+++ b/doc/sphinx/vtc-syntax.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 # Process various varnishtest C files and output reStructuredText to be
 # included in vtc(7).
 
+from __future__ import print_function
 import sys
 import re
 
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ def parse_file(fn, cl, tl, sl):
     section = ""
     resec = re.compile("[ /]\* SECTION: ")
 
-    f = open(fn, "r", encoding="UTF-8")
+    f = open(fn, "r")
 
     for l in f:
         if "*/" in l:
diff --git a/lib/libvcc/generate.py b/lib/libvcc/generate.py
index be3dd32..0118d79 100755
--- a/lib/libvcc/generate.py
+++ b/lib/libvcc/generate.py
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 # Generate various .c and .h files for the VCL compiler and the interfaces
 # for it.
 
+from __future__ import print_function
+
 #######################################################################
 # These are our tokens
 
diff --git a/lib/libvcc/vmodtool.py b/lib/libvcc/vmodtool.py
index 35c19e9..14f93b1 100755
--- a/lib/libvcc/vmodtool.py
+++ b/lib/libvcc/vmodtool.py
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ Read the vmod.vcc file (inputvcc) and produce:
     vmod_${name}.rst -- Extracted documentation
 """
 
+# This script should work with both Python 2 and Python 3.
+from __future__ import print_function
+
 import os
 import sys
 import re
diff --git a/lib/libvcc/vsctool.py b/lib/libvcc/vsctool.py
index d95b66e..e65b007 100644
--- a/lib/libvcc/vsctool.py
+++ b/lib/libvcc/vsctool.py
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ the same general syntax as a `.rst` file, but for now we process
 it with this program to get a *real* `.rst` file.
 '''
 
+from __future__ import print_function
+
 import getopt
 import json
 import sys
diff --git a/varnish-legacy.m4 b/varnish-legacy.m4
index 9f67359..e5e2821 100644
--- a/varnish-legacy.m4
+++ b/varnish-legacy.m4
@@ -98,10 +98,9 @@ AC_SUBST([VMOD_DIR])
 
 AC_DEFUN([VARNISH_VMODTOOL],
 [
-AC_CHECK_PROGS(PYTHON, [python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3.5 dnl
-  python3.4 python3 python, "no"])
+AC_CHECK_PROGS(PYTHON, [python3 python3.1 python3.2 python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python2 python], "no")
 if test "x$PYTHON" = "xno"; then
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([Python >= 3.4 is needed to build, please install python.])
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([Python is needed to build, please install python.])
 fi
 VARNISH_PKG_GET_VAR([VMODTOOL], [vmodtool])
 AC_SUBST([VMODTOOL])
diff --git a/varnish.m4 b/varnish.m4
index 392c36c..71df96d 100644
--- a/varnish.m4
+++ b/varnish.m4
@@ -130,10 +130,10 @@ AC_DEFUN([_VARNISH_CHECK_DEVEL], [
 # ---------------------
 AC_DEFUN([_VARNISH_CHECK_PYTHON], [
 	m4_define_default([_AM_PYTHON_INTERPRETER_LIST],
-		[python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3.5 dnl
-		python3.4 python3 python])
-	AM_PATH_PYTHON([3.4], [], [
-		AC_MSG_ERROR([Python >= 3.4 is required.])
+[python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3.5 python3.4 python2.7 dnl
+python python2 python3])
+	AM_PATH_PYTHON([2.7], [], [
+		AC_MSG_ERROR([Python >= 2.7 is required.])
 	])
 
 ])