diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
--- a/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -304,6 +304,13 @@
 PGENOBJS=	$(POBJS) $(PGOBJS)
 
 ##########################################################################
+# opcode.h generation
+OPCODE_H_DIR= 	Include
+OPCODE_H_SCRIPT= Tools/scripts/generate_opcode_h.py
+OPCODE_H=	$(srcdir)/$(OPCODE_H_DIR)/opcode.h
+OPCODE_H_GEN=	@OPCODEHGEN@  $(OPCODE_H_SCRIPT) Lib/ $(OPCODE_H)
+#
+##########################################################################
 # AST
 AST_H_DIR=	Include
 AST_H=		$(AST_H_DIR)/Python-ast.h
@@ -695,6 +702,9 @@
 	$(MKDIR_P) $(AST_C_DIR)
 	$(ASDLGEN) -c $(AST_C_DIR) $(AST_ASDL)
 
+$(OPCODE_H):
+	$(OPCODE_H_GEN)
+
 Python/compile.o Python/symtable.o Python/ast.o: $(GRAMMAR_H) $(AST_H)
 
 Python/getplatform.o: $(srcdir)/Python/getplatform.c
@@ -806,7 +816,7 @@
 		$(srcdir)/Include/node.h \
 		$(srcdir)/Include/object.h \
 		$(srcdir)/Include/objimpl.h \
-		$(srcdir)/Include/opcode.h \
+		$(OPCODE_H) \
 		$(srcdir)/Include/osdefs.h \
 		$(srcdir)/Include/patchlevel.h \
 		$(srcdir)/Include/pgen.h \
diff --git a/Tools/scripts/generate_opcode_h.py b/Tools/scripts/generate_opcode_h.py
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tools/scripts/generate_opcode_h.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# This script generates the opcode.h header file.
+
+import sys
+sys.path.insert(0, sys.argv[1])
+import opcode
+header = """/* Auto-generated by Tools/scripts/generate_opcode_h.py */
+#ifndef Py_OPCODE_H
+#define Py_OPCODE_H
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+
+    /* Instruction opcodes for compiled code */
+"""
+
+footer = """
+/* EXCEPT_HANDLER is a special, implicit block type which is created when
+   entering an except handler. It is not an opcode but we define it here
+   as we want it to be available to both frameobject.c and ceval.c, while
+   remaining private.*/
+#define EXCEPT_HANDLER 257
+
+
+enum cmp_op {PyCmp_LT=Py_LT, PyCmp_LE=Py_LE, PyCmp_EQ=Py_EQ, PyCmp_NE=Py_NE,
+                PyCmp_GT=Py_GT, PyCmp_GE=Py_GE, PyCmp_IN, PyCmp_NOT_IN,
+                PyCmp_IS, PyCmp_IS_NOT, PyCmp_EXC_MATCH, PyCmp_BAD};
+
+#define HAS_ARG(op) ((op) >= HAVE_ARGUMENT)
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+#endif /* !Py_OPCODE_H */
+"""
+
+
+def main(outfile='Include/opcode.h'):
+    with open(outfile, 'w') as fobj:
+        fobj.write(header)
+        for name in opcode.opname:
+            if name in opcode.opmap:
+                fobj.write("#define %-20s\t%-3s\n" % (name, opcode.opmap[name]))
+            if name == 'POP_EXCEPT': # Special entry for HAVE_ARGUMENT
+                fobj.write("#define %-20s\t%-3d\n" % ('HAVE_ARGUMENT',
+                        opcode.HAVE_ARGUMENT))
+        fobj.write(footer)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main(sys.argv[2])
diff --git a/configure b/configure
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -667,6 +667,7 @@
 INSTALL_DATA
 INSTALL_SCRIPT
 INSTALL_PROGRAM
+OPCODEHGEN
 PYTHON
 ASDLGEN
 ac_ct_READELF
@@ -6013,6 +6014,57 @@
 fi
 
 
+for ac_prog in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python
+do
+  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
+{ $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
+if ${ac_cv_prog_PYTHON+:} false; then :
+  $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$PYTHON"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_PYTHON="$PYTHON" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_PYTHON="$ac_prog"
+    $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+  done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+PYTHON=$ac_cv_prog_PYTHON
+if test -n "$PYTHON"; then
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $PYTHON" >&5
+$as_echo "$PYTHON" >&6; }
+else
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
+$as_echo "no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+  test -n "$PYTHON" && break
+done
+test -n "$PYTHON" || PYTHON="not-found"
+
+if test "$PYTHON" = not-found; then
+    OPCODEHGEN="@echo python: $PYTHON! cannot run Tools/scripts/generate_opcode_h.py"
+else
+    OPCODEHGEN="$PYTHON"
+fi
+
+
+
 case $MACHDEP in
 bsdos*|hp*|HP*)
 	# install -d does not work on BSDI or HP-UX
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1017,6 +1017,15 @@
     ASDLGEN="$PYTHON"
 fi
 
+AC_SUBST(OPCODEHGEN)
+AC_CHECK_PROGS(PYTHON, python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python, not-found)
+if test "$PYTHON" = not-found; then
+    OPCODEHGEN="@echo python: $PYTHON! cannot run Tools/scripts/generate_opcode_h.py"
+else
+    OPCODEHGEN="$PYTHON"
+fi
+
+
 
 case $MACHDEP in
 bsdos*|hp*|HP*)