diff --git a/git.spec.in b/git.spec.in
index 4bf7a8f618..1d3934bba5 100644
--- a/git.spec.in
+++ b/git.spec.in
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 # Pass --without docs to rpmbuild if you don't want the documentation
+
+%define python_path /usr/bin/python
+
 Name: 		git
 Version: 	@@VERSION@@
 Release: 	1%{?dist}
@@ -93,12 +96,13 @@ Perl interface to Git
 
 %build
 make %{_smp_mflags} CFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS" WITH_P4IMPORT=YesPlease \
-     prefix=%{_prefix} all %{!?_without_docs: doc}
+     prefix=%{_prefix} PYTHON_PATH=%{python_path} all %{!?_without_docs: doc}
 
 %install
 rm -rf $RPM_BUILD_ROOT
 make %{_smp_mflags} CFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS" DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT \
      WITH_P4IMPORT=YesPlease prefix=%{_prefix} mandir=%{_mandir} \
+     PYTHON_PATH=%{python_path} \
      INSTALLDIRS=vendor install %{!?_without_docs: install-doc}
 find $RPM_BUILD_ROOT -type f -name .packlist -exec rm -f {} ';'
 find $RPM_BUILD_ROOT -type f -name '*.bs' -empty -exec rm -f {} ';'