diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c7aeedb..c795e29 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ dnl make
 AC_PROG_MAKE_SET
 
 dnl check for python and SWIG
-AC_PYTHON_DEVEL([>= '2.4'])
+AC_PYTHON_DEVEL([>= '2.3'])
 AC_PROG_SWIG
 SWIG_ENABLE_CXX
 SWIG_PYTHON
diff --git a/m4/ac_python_devel.m4 b/m4/ac_python_devel.m4
index 8989d8c..a851233 100644
--- a/m4/ac_python_devel.m4
+++ b/m4/ac_python_devel.m4
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_PYTHON_DEVEL],[
 	# Allow the use of a (user set) custom python version
 	#
 	AC_ARG_VAR([PYTHON_VERSION],[The installed Python
-		version to use, for example '2.3'])
+		version to use, for example '2.3'. This string 
+		will be appended to the Python interpreter
+		canonical name.])
 
 	AC_PATH_PROG([PYTHON],[python[$PYTHON_VERSION]])
 	if test -z "$PYTHON"; then