diff --git a/numbuf/CMakeLists.txt b/numbuf/CMakeLists.txt
index a8d400ee6..7266e102a 100644
--- a/numbuf/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/numbuf/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,40 +4,65 @@ project(numbuf)
 
 list(APPEND CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/Modules)
 
-# Make libnumbuf.so look for shared libraries in the folder libnumbuf.so is in
+# Make libnumbuf.so look for shared libraries in the folder libnumbuf.so is in.
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "$ORIGIN/")
 set(CMAKE_MACOSX_RPATH 1)
 
 if(NOT APPLE)
   find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
-  find_package(PythonLibs REQUIRED)
+  find_package(PythonLibs ${PYTHON_VERSION_STRING} EXACT REQUIRED)
   set(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
 else()
+  message(STATUS "Trying custom approach for finding Python.")
+  # Start off by figuring out which Python executable to use.
   find_program(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE python)
-  message("-- Found Python program: ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
-  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "import sys; print 'python' + sys.version[0:3]"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "import sys; print sys.exec_prefix"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_PREFIX OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "Found Python program: ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; print 'python' + sys.version[0:3]"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME})
+  # Now find the Python include directories.
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print get_python_inc()"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS: " ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  # Now find the Python libraries. We'll start by looking near the Python
+  # executable. If that fails, then we'll look near the Python include
+  # directories.
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; print sys.exec_prefix"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_PREFIX OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_PREFIX: " ${PYTHON_PREFIX})
+  FIND_LIBRARY(PYTHON_LIBRARIES
+               NAMES ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME}
+               HINTS "${PYTHON_PREFIX}"
+               PATH_SUFFIXES "lib" "libs"
+               NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+  # If that failed, perhaps because the user is in a virtualenv, search around
+  # the Python include directories.
+  if(NOT PYTHON_LIBRARIES)
+    message(STATUS "Failed to find PYTHON_LIBRARIES near the Python executable, so now looking near the Python include directories.")
     FIND_LIBRARY(PYTHON_LIBRARIES
                  NAMES ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME}
-                 HINTS "${PYTHON_PREFIX}"
+                 HINTS "${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS}/../.."
                  PATH_SUFFIXES "lib" "libs"
                  NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print get_python_inc()"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-    if(PYTHON_LIBRARIES AND PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS)
-        SET(PYTHONLIBS_FOUND TRUE)
-        message("-- Found PythonLibs: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
-        message("-- -- Used custom search path")
-    else()
-        find_package(PythonLibs REQUIRED)
-        message("-- -- Used find_package(PythonLibs)")
-    endif()
+    message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+  endif()
+  # If we found the Python libraries and the include directories, then continue
+  # on. If not, then try find_package as a last resort, but it probably won't
+  # work.
+  if(PYTHON_LIBRARIES AND PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS)
+    message(STATUS "The custom approach for finding Python succeeded.")
+    SET(PYTHONLIBS_FOUND TRUE)
+  else()
+    message(WARNING "The custom approach for finding Python failed. Defaulting to find_package.")
+    find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
+    find_package(PythonLibs ${PYTHON_VERSION_STRING} EXACT REQUIRED)
+    set(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+  endif()
 endif()
+message(STATUS "Using CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE: " ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+message(STATUS "Using PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+message(STATUS "Using PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS: " ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
 find_package(NumPy REQUIRED)
 
@@ -50,31 +75,27 @@ include_directories("${NUMPY_INCLUDE_DIR}")
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
 
-if (UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
-   link_libraries(rt)
+if(UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
+  link_libraries(rt)
 endif()
 
-set(ARROW_DIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/" CACHE STRING
-  "Path of the arrow source directory")
+set(ARROW_DIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/"
+    CACHE STRING "Path of the arrow source directory")
 
-if (APPLE)
-  set(ARROW_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow.dylib" CACHE STRING
-    "Path to libarrow.dylib (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
-
-  set(ARROW_IO_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow_io.dylib" CACHE STRING
-    "Path to libarrow_io.dylib (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
-
-  set(ARROW_IPC_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow_ipc.dylib" CACHE STRING
-    "Path to libarrow_ipc.dylib (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
+if(APPLE)
+  set(ARROW_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow.dylib"
+      CACHE STRING "Path to libarrow.dylib (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
+  set(ARROW_IO_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow_io.dylib"
+      CACHE STRING "Path to libarrow_io.dylib (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
+  set(ARROW_IPC_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow_ipc.dylib"
+      CACHE STRING "Path to libarrow_ipc.dylib (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
 else()
-  set(ARROW_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow.so" CACHE STRING
-    "Path to libarrow.so (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
-
-  set(ARROW_IO_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow_io.so" CACHE STRING
-    "Path to libarrow_io.so (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
-
-  set(ARROW_IPC_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow_ipc.so" CACHE STRING
-    "Path to libarrow_ipc.so (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
+  set(ARROW_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow.so"
+      CACHE STRING "Path to libarrow.so (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
+  set(ARROW_IO_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow_io.so"
+      CACHE STRING "Path to libarrow_io.so (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
+  set(ARROW_IPC_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/thirdparty/arrow/cpp/build/release/libarrow_ipc.so"
+      CACHE STRING "Path to libarrow_ipc.so (needs to be changed if arrow is build in debug mode)")
 endif()
 
 include_directories("${ARROW_DIR}/cpp/src/")
@@ -94,17 +115,13 @@ add_library(numbuf SHARED
 get_filename_component(PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} NAME)
 if(APPLE)
   add_custom_command(TARGET numbuf
-      POST_BUILD COMMAND
-      ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change ${PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} libnumbuf.so)
+      POST_BUILD COMMAND ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change ${PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} libnumbuf.so)
   add_custom_command(TARGET numbuf
-      POST_BUILD COMMAND
-      ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change "@rpath/libarrow.dylib" "@loader_path/libarrow.dylib" libnumbuf.so)
+      POST_BUILD COMMAND ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change "@rpath/libarrow.dylib" "@loader_path/libarrow.dylib" libnumbuf.so)
   add_custom_command(TARGET numbuf
-      POST_BUILD COMMAND
-      ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change "@rpath/libarrow_io.dylib" "@loader_path/libarrow_io.dylib" libnumbuf.so)
+      POST_BUILD COMMAND ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change "@rpath/libarrow_io.dylib" "@loader_path/libarrow_io.dylib" libnumbuf.so)
   add_custom_command(TARGET numbuf
-      POST_BUILD COMMAND
-      ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change "@rpath/libarrow_ipc.dylib" "@loader_path/libarrow_ipc.dylib" libnumbuf.so)
+      POST_BUILD COMMAND ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change "@rpath/libarrow_ipc.dylib" "@loader_path/libarrow_ipc.dylib" libnumbuf.so)
 endif(APPLE)
 
 target_link_libraries(numbuf ${ARROW_LIB} ${ARROW_IO_LIB} ${ARROW_IPC_LIB} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
diff --git a/src/photon/CMakeLists.txt b/src/photon/CMakeLists.txt
index 988137371..7a1d1f040 100644
--- a/src/photon/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/photon/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,34 +4,59 @@ project(photon)
 
 if(NOT APPLE)
   find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
-  find_package(PythonLibs REQUIRED)
+  find_package(PythonLibs ${PYTHON_VERSION_STRING} EXACT REQUIRED)
   set(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
 else()
+  message(STATUS "Trying custom approach for finding Python.")
+  # Start off by figuring out which Python executable to use.
   find_program(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE python)
-  message("-- Found Python program: ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
-  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "import sys; print 'python' + sys.version[0:3]"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "import sys; print sys.exec_prefix"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_PREFIX OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "Found Python program: ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; print 'python' + sys.version[0:3]"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME})
+  # Now find the Python include directories.
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print get_python_inc()"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS: " ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  # Now find the Python libraries. We'll start by looking near the Python
+  # executable. If that fails, then we'll look near the Python include
+  # directories.
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; print sys.exec_prefix"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_PREFIX OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_PREFIX: " ${PYTHON_PREFIX})
+  FIND_LIBRARY(PYTHON_LIBRARIES
+               NAMES ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME}
+               HINTS "${PYTHON_PREFIX}"
+               PATH_SUFFIXES "lib" "libs"
+               NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+  # If that failed, perhaps because the user is in a virtualenv, search around
+  # the Python include directories.
+  if(NOT PYTHON_LIBRARIES)
+    message(STATUS "Failed to find PYTHON_LIBRARIES near the Python executable, so now looking near the Python include directories.")
     FIND_LIBRARY(PYTHON_LIBRARIES
                  NAMES ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME}
-                 HINTS "${PYTHON_PREFIX}"
+                 HINTS "${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS}/../.."
                  PATH_SUFFIXES "lib" "libs"
                  NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print get_python_inc()"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-    if(PYTHON_LIBRARIES AND PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS)
-        SET(PYTHONLIBS_FOUND TRUE)
-        message("-- Found PythonLibs: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
-        message("-- -- Used custom search path")
-    else()
-        find_package(PythonLibs REQUIRED)
-        message("-- -- Used find_package(PythonLibs)")
-    endif()
+    message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+  endif()
+  # If we found the Python libraries and the include directories, then continue
+  # on. If not, then try find_package as a last resort, but it probably won't
+  # work.
+  if(PYTHON_LIBRARIES AND PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS)
+    message(STATUS "The custom approach for finding Python succeeded.")
+    SET(PYTHONLIBS_FOUND TRUE)
+  else()
+    message(WARNING "The custom approach for finding Python failed. Defaulting to find_package.")
+    find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
+    find_package(PythonLibs ${PYTHON_VERSION_STRING} EXACT REQUIRED)
+    set(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+  endif()
 endif()
+message(STATUS "Using CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE: " ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+message(STATUS "Using PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+message(STATUS "Using PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS: " ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
 if(APPLE)
   SET(CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX ".so")
@@ -41,15 +66,15 @@ include_directories("${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
 
 set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} --std=c99 -Werror")
 
-if (UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
-   link_libraries(rt)
+if(UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
+  link_libraries(rt)
 endif()
 
-set(PHOTON_CLIENT_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/build/photon_client.a" CACHE STRING
-  "Path to photon_client.a")
+set(PHOTON_CLIENT_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/build/photon_client.a"
+    CACHE STRING "Path to photon_client.a")
 
-set(COMMON_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../common/build/libcommon.a" CACHE STRING
-  "Path to libcommon.a")
+set(COMMON_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../common/build/libcommon.a"
+    CACHE STRING "Path to libcommon.a")
 
 include_directories("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/")
 include_directories("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../")
@@ -64,8 +89,7 @@ add_library(photon SHARED
 get_filename_component(PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} NAME)
 if(APPLE)
   add_custom_command(TARGET photon
-      POST_BUILD COMMAND
-      ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change ${PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} libphoton.so)
+                     POST_BUILD COMMAND ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change ${PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} libphoton.so)
 endif(APPLE)
 
 target_link_libraries(photon ${PHOTON_CLIENT_LIB} ${COMMON_LIB} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
diff --git a/src/plasma/CMakeLists.txt b/src/plasma/CMakeLists.txt
index a8f1faca7..a9c955ff8 100644
--- a/src/plasma/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/plasma/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,34 +4,59 @@ project(plasma)
 
 if(NOT APPLE)
   find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
-  find_package(PythonLibs REQUIRED)
+  find_package(PythonLibs ${PYTHON_VERSION_STRING} EXACT REQUIRED)
   set(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
 else()
+  message(STATUS "Trying custom approach for finding Python.")
+  # Start off by figuring out which Python executable to use.
   find_program(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE python)
-  message("-- Found Python program: ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
-  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "import sys; print 'python' + sys.version[0:3]"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "import sys; print sys.exec_prefix"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_PREFIX OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "Found Python program: ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; print 'python' + sys.version[0:3]"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME})
+  # Now find the Python include directories.
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print get_python_inc()"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS: " ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  # Now find the Python libraries. We'll start by looking near the Python
+  # executable. If that fails, then we'll look near the Python include
+  # directories.
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sys; print sys.exec_prefix"
+                  OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_PREFIX OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_PREFIX: " ${PYTHON_PREFIX})
+  FIND_LIBRARY(PYTHON_LIBRARIES
+               NAMES ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME}
+               HINTS "${PYTHON_PREFIX}"
+               PATH_SUFFIXES "lib" "libs"
+               NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
+  message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+  # If that failed, perhaps because the user is in a virtualenv, search around
+  # the Python include directories.
+  if(NOT PYTHON_LIBRARIES)
+    message(STATUS "Failed to find PYTHON_LIBRARIES near the Python executable, so now looking near the Python include directories.")
     FIND_LIBRARY(PYTHON_LIBRARIES
                  NAMES ${PYTHON_LIBRARY_NAME}
-                 HINTS "${PYTHON_PREFIX}"
+                 HINTS "${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS}/../.."
                  PATH_SUFFIXES "lib" "libs"
                  NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c
-                    "from distutils.sysconfig import *; print get_python_inc()"
-                    OUTPUT_VARIABLE PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-    if(PYTHON_LIBRARIES AND PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS)
-        SET(PYTHONLIBS_FOUND TRUE)
-        message("-- Found PythonLibs: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
-        message("-- -- Used custom search path")
-    else()
-        find_package(PythonLibs REQUIRED)
-        message("-- -- Used find_package(PythonLibs)")
-    endif()
+    message(STATUS "PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+  endif()
+  # If we found the Python libraries and the include directories, then continue
+  # on. If not, then try find_package as a last resort, but it probably won't
+  # work.
+  if(PYTHON_LIBRARIES AND PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS)
+    message(STATUS "The custom approach for finding Python succeeded.")
+    SET(PYTHONLIBS_FOUND TRUE)
+  else()
+    message(WARNING "The custom approach for finding Python failed. Defaulting to find_package.")
+    find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
+    find_package(PythonLibs ${PYTHON_VERSION_STRING} EXACT REQUIRED)
+    set(CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+  endif()
 endif()
+message(STATUS "Using CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE: " ${CUSTOM_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE})
+message(STATUS "Using PYTHON_LIBRARIES: " ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+message(STATUS "Using PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS: " ${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
 if(APPLE)
   SET(CMAKE_SHARED_LIBRARY_SUFFIX ".so")
@@ -41,12 +66,12 @@ include_directories("${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
 
 set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} --std=c99 -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=500 -D_POSIX_C_SOURCE=200809L")
 
-if (UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
-   link_libraries(rt)
+if(UNIX AND NOT APPLE)
+  link_libraries(rt)
 endif()
 
-set(COMMON_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../common/build/libcommon.a" CACHE STRING
-  "Path to libcommon.a")
+set(COMMON_LIB "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../common/build/libcommon.a"
+    CACHE STRING "Path to libcommon.a")
 
 include_directories("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/")
 include_directories("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/../")
@@ -62,8 +87,7 @@ add_library(plasma SHARED
 get_filename_component(PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} NAME)
 if(APPLE)
   add_custom_command(TARGET plasma
-      POST_BUILD COMMAND
-      ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change ${PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} libplasma.so)
+                     POST_BUILD COMMAND ${CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_TOOL} -change ${PYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} libplasma.so)
 endif(APPLE)
 
 target_link_libraries(plasma ${COMMON_LIB} ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})