diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 08124664..9bd4837d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # This Makefile is only used by developers.
-PYTHON=python2.2
+PYTHON=python
 VERSION=$(shell $(PYTHON) setup.py --version)
 PACKAGE=linkchecker
 NAME=$(shell $(PYTHON) setup.py --name)
diff --git a/debian/linkchecker.postinst b/debian/linkchecker.postinst
index 44a43ee7..7ef4d26b 100755
--- a/debian/linkchecker.postinst
+++ b/debian/linkchecker.postinst
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@
 # Written 1998 by Gregor Hoffleit <flight@debian.org>.
 # used by Bastian Kleineidam for LinkChecker
 set -e
-PYTHON=python2.2
-SITEPACKAGES=/usr/lib/$PYTHON/site-packages
+PYTHON=python
+PYVER=2.2
+SITEPACKAGES=/usr/lib/${PYTHON}${PYVER}/site-packages
 DIRLIST=linkcheck
 FILELIST=_linkchecker_configdata.py
 COMMAND="'import sys,py_compile;py_compile.compile(sys.argv[1])'"
diff --git a/debian/linkchecker.prerm b/debian/linkchecker.prerm
index a78d5d3b..f35ff870 100755
--- a/debian/linkchecker.prerm
+++ b/debian/linkchecker.prerm
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 # used by Bastian Kleineidam for LinkChecker
 set -e
 PACKAGE=linkchecker
-PYTHON=python2.2
+PYTHON=python
+PYVER=2.2
 
 #DEBHELPER#
 
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ dpkg --listfiles $PACKAGE |
         awk '$0~/\.py$/ {print $0"c\n" $0"o"}' |
         xargs rm -f >&2
 
-rmdir /usr/lib/$PYTHON/site-packages/linkcheck 2>/dev/null || true
+rmdir /usr/lib/${PYTHON}${PYVER}/site-packages/linkcheck 2>/dev/null || true
 
 # for later use of python-central
 #/usr/sbin/register-python-package module remove linkchecker ">=2.0"
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index cd426f06..d5266b94 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # GNU copyright 1997 to 1999 by Joey Hess.
 PACKAGE=linkchecker
 DOCDIR = debian/$(PACKAGE)/usr/share/doc/$(PACKAGE)
-PYTHON=python2.2
+PYTHON=python
 
 # Uncomment this to turn on verbose mode.
 #export DH_VERBOSE=1