diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8d35d542f7..4a6dae6c63 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ option(KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON
        "set this option ON to build wxpython implementation for wx interface building in python and py.shell"
        )
 
+# when option KICAD_SCRIPTING OR KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES is enabled:
+# PYTHON_EXECUTABLE can be defined when invoking cmake
+# ( use -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=<python path>/python.exe or python2 )
+# when not defined by user, the default is python.exe under Windows and python2 for others
+# python binary filee should be is exec path.
+
 
 #Set version option (stable or testing)
 
@@ -259,7 +265,15 @@ endif(WIN32 AND USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT)
 # Find Python and other scripting resources
 if (KICAD_SCRIPTING OR KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES)
 
-  execute_process(COMMAND python2 -c "import sys;print\"%s.%s\"%sys.version_info[0:2]" OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_VERSION OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+    if( "${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}" STREQUAL  "" )
+        if(WIN32)
+            SET( PYTHON_EXECUTABLE "python.exe" )
+        else(WIN32)
+            SET( PYTHON_EXECUTABLE "python2" )
+        endif(WIN32)
+    endif()
+
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys;print\"%s.%s\"%sys.version_info[0:2]" OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_VERSION OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
   set(PYTHON_DEST "lib/python${PYTHON_VERSION}/dist-packages" )
   find_package(PythonLibs)
   include_directories(${PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH}
diff --git a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
index b7e743b01d..478e3e820e 100644
--- a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ if (KICAD_SCRIPTING)
                        DEPENDS ../scripting/kicadplugins.i
 
 	               COMMAND ${SWIG_EXECUTABLE} ${SWIG_OPTS} -o ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew_wrap.cxx  scripting/pcbnew.i
-	               COMMAND ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../scripting/fixswigimports.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew.py
+	               COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../scripting/fixswigimports.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew.py
 	               WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
 	)
 
@@ -432,9 +432,9 @@ install(TARGETS pcbnew
 
 if(KICAD_SCRIPTING)
 	add_custom_target(FixSwigImportsScripting ALL
-                     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../scripting/fixswigimports.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew.py
+                     COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../scripting/fixswigimports.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew.py
                      DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew
-                     COMMENT "Fixing swig_import_helper"
+                     COMMENT "Fixing swig_import_helper in Kicad scripting"
                      )
 
 
@@ -444,9 +444,9 @@ endif(KICAD_SCRIPTING)
 
 if (KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES)
 	add_custom_target(FixSwigImportsModuleScripting ALL
-                     ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../scripting/fixswigimports.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew.py
+                     COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../scripting/fixswigimports.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew.py
                      DEPENDS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/_pcbnew
-                     COMMENT "Fixing swig_import_helper"
+                     COMMENT "Fixing swig_import_helper in Kicad scripting modules"
                      )