diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a13bf24c8d..0bddb5faad 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -28885,6 +28885,154 @@ fi
     CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_CPPFLAGS
 fi
 
+# check for <Python.h>
+if test "$with_python" = yes; then
+  ac_save_CPPFLAGS=$CPPFLAGS
+  CPPFLAGS="$python_includespec $CPPFLAGS"
+  if test "${ac_cv_header_Python_h+set}" = set; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for Python.h" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for Python.h... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_header_Python_h+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_header_Python_h" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_header_Python_h" >&6; }
+else
+  # Is the header compilable?
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking Python.h usability" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking Python.h usability... " >&6; }
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+$ac_includes_default
+#include <Python.h>
+_ACEOF
+rm -f conftest.$ac_objext
+if { (ac_try="$ac_compile"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
+$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_compile") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       } && test -s conftest.$ac_objext; then
+  ac_header_compiler=yes
+else
+  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+	ac_header_compiler=no
+fi
+
+rm -f core conftest.err conftest.$ac_objext conftest.$ac_ext
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_header_compiler" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_header_compiler" >&6; }
+
+# Is the header present?
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking Python.h presence" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking Python.h presence... " >&6; }
+cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* confdefs.h.  */
+_ACEOF
+cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
+cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
+/* end confdefs.h.  */
+#include <Python.h>
+_ACEOF
+if { (ac_try="$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext"
+case "(($ac_try" in
+  *\"* | *\`* | *\\*) ac_try_echo=\$ac_try;;
+  *) ac_try_echo=$ac_try;;
+esac
+eval ac_try_echo="\"\$as_me:$LINENO: $ac_try_echo\""
+$as_echo "$ac_try_echo") >&5
+  (eval "$ac_cpp conftest.$ac_ext") 2>conftest.er1
+  ac_status=$?
+  grep -v '^ *+' conftest.er1 >conftest.err
+  rm -f conftest.er1
+  cat conftest.err >&5
+  $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
+  (exit $ac_status); } >/dev/null && {
+	 test -z "$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag$ac_c_werror_flag" ||
+	 test ! -s conftest.err
+       }; then
+  ac_header_preproc=yes
+else
+  $as_echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
+sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
+
+  ac_header_preproc=no
+fi
+
+rm -f conftest.err conftest.$ac_ext
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_header_preproc" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_header_preproc" >&6; }
+
+# So?  What about this header?
+case $ac_header_compiler:$ac_header_preproc:$ac_c_preproc_warn_flag in
+  yes:no: )
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Python.h: accepted by the compiler, rejected by the preprocessor!" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Python.h: accepted by the compiler, rejected by the preprocessor!" >&2;}
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Python.h: proceeding with the compiler's result" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Python.h: proceeding with the compiler's result" >&2;}
+    ac_header_preproc=yes
+    ;;
+  no:yes:* )
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Python.h: present but cannot be compiled" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Python.h: present but cannot be compiled" >&2;}
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Python.h:     check for missing prerequisite headers?" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Python.h:     check for missing prerequisite headers?" >&2;}
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Python.h: see the Autoconf documentation" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Python.h: see the Autoconf documentation" >&2;}
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Python.h:     section \"Present But Cannot Be Compiled\"" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Python.h:     section \"Present But Cannot Be Compiled\"" >&2;}
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Python.h: proceeding with the preprocessor's result" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Python.h: proceeding with the preprocessor's result" >&2;}
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: Python.h: in the future, the compiler will take precedence" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: WARNING: Python.h: in the future, the compiler will take precedence" >&2;}
+    ( cat <<\_ASBOX
+## ---------------------------------------- ##
+## Report this to pgsql-bugs@postgresql.org ##
+## ---------------------------------------- ##
+_ASBOX
+     ) | sed "s/^/$as_me: WARNING:     /" >&2
+    ;;
+esac
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for Python.h" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for Python.h... " >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_header_Python_h+set}" = set; then
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  ac_cv_header_Python_h=$ac_header_preproc
+fi
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_header_Python_h" >&5
+$as_echo "$ac_cv_header_Python_h" >&6; }
+
+fi
+if test "x$ac_cv_header_Python_h" = x""yes; then
+  :
+else
+  { { $as_echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: header file <Python.h> is required for Python" >&5
+$as_echo "$as_me: error: header file <Python.h> is required for Python" >&2;}
+   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
+fi
+
+
+  CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_CPPFLAGS
+fi
+
 #
 # Check for DocBook and tools
 #
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 0dffc51d0b..6aae5049a6 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -1767,6 +1767,14 @@ if test "$with_tcl" = yes; then
     CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_CPPFLAGS
 fi
 
+# check for <Python.h>
+if test "$with_python" = yes; then
+  ac_save_CPPFLAGS=$CPPFLAGS
+  CPPFLAGS="$python_includespec $CPPFLAGS"
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER(Python.h, [], [AC_MSG_ERROR([header file <Python.h> is required for Python])])
+  CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_CPPFLAGS
+fi
+
 #
 # Check for DocBook and tools
 #