--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1092,6 +1092,7 @@ $pthreads_libs     = "-lpthread";
 #$stock_python_library_dir=$ENV{"PYTHON_LIBRARY_DIR"} || "/usr/local/lib";
 $stock_python_include_dir=$ENV{"PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR"} || "$vmd_library_dir/python/lib_$config_arch/include/python2.5";
 $stock_python_library_dir=$ENV{"PYTHON_LIBRARY_DIR"} || "$vmd_library_dir/python/lib_$config_arch/lib/python2.5/config";
+$stock_python_libs=$ENV{"PYTHON_LIBS"} || "-lpython2.5 -lpthread";
 
 #$stock_numpy_include_dir=$ENV{"NUMPY_INCLUDE_DIR"} || "/usr/local/include";
 #$stock_numpy_library_dir=$ENV{"NUMPY_LIBRARY_DIR"} || "/usr/local/lib";
@@ -1101,7 +1102,7 @@ $stock_numpy_library_dir=$ENV{"NUMPY_LIB
 $python_defines     = "-DVMDPYTHON";
 $python_include     = "-I$stock_python_include_dir -I$stock_numpy_include_dir -I$stock_numpy_library_dir";
 $python_library     = "-L$stock_python_library_dir";
-$python_libs        = "-lpython2.5 -lpthread";
+$python_libs        = $stock_python_libs;
 @python_h           = ('PythonTextInterp.h',
                        'VMDTkinterMenu.h',
 		       'py_commands.h',