Thanks,
Clayton Shotwell

diff -urN a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac    2013-07-29 16:37:01.000000000 -0500
+++ b/configure.ac    2013-08-21 13:29:55.760585744 -0500
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_PROG_AWK
+AM_PATH_PYTHON(2.7)
+AC_PYTHON_MODULE(pyparsing, 1)
 
 echo .
 echo Checking for header files
@@ -89,8 +91,7 @@
     AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
 else
 AC_MSG_RESULT(testing)
-AM_PATH_PYTHON
-if test -f /usr/include/python${am_cv_python_version}/Python.h ; then
+if test x$ax_python_header != x ; then
     python_found="yes"
     AC_MSG_NOTICE(Python bindings will be built)
 else
diff -urN /dev/null b/m4/ax_python_module.m4
--- /dev/null    2013-06-19 11:25:31.230442052 -0500
+++ b/m4/ax_python_module.m4    2013-08-21 12:43:56.829882655 -0500
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# ===========================================================================
+#     http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf-archive/ax_python_module.html
+# ===========================================================================
+#
+# SYNOPSIS
+#
+#   AX_PYTHON_MODULE(modname[, fatal])
+#
+# DESCRIPTION
+#
+#   Checks for Python module.
+#
+#   If fatal is non-empty then absence of a module will trigger an error.
+#
+# LICENSE
+#
+#   Copyright (c) 2008 Andrew Collier
+#
+#   Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are
+#   permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice
+#   and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without any
+#   warranty.
+
+#serial 6
+
+AU_ALIAS([AC_PYTHON_MODULE], [AX_PYTHON_MODULE])
+AC_DEFUN([AX_PYTHON_MODULE],[
+    if test -z $PYTHON;
+    then
+        PYTHON="python"
+    fi
+    PYTHON_NAME=`basename $PYTHON`
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING($PYTHON_NAME module: $1)
+    $PYTHON -c "import $1" 2>/dev/null
+    if test $? -eq 0;
+    then
+        AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+        eval AS_TR_CPP(HAVE_PYMOD_$1)=yes
+    else
+        AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+        eval AS_TR_CPP(HAVE_PYMOD_$1)=no
+        #
+        if test -n "$2"
+        then
+            AC_MSG_ERROR(failed to find required module $1)
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    fi
+])