diff --git a/configure b/configure
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2957,13 +2957,18 @@
     { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for python interpreter for cross build" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for python interpreter for cross build... " >&6; }
     if test -z "$PYTHON_FOR_BUILD"; then
-        for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python; do
-	    which $interp >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
-	    if $interp -c 'import sys;sys.exit(not sys.version_info[:2] >= (3,3))'; then
-	        break
-	    fi
-            interp=
-	done
+        if test ! -z "$HOSTPYTHON" && PYTHONPATH="$ac_abs_confdir/Lib" "$HOSTPYTHON" —S -c 'import sys;sys.exit(not sys.version_info[:2] >= (3,3))'; then
+            interp="$HOSTPYTHON"
+        else
+            for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python; do
+                which $interp >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
+                if $interp -c 'import sys;sys.exit(not sys.version_info[:2] >= (3,3))'; then
+                    break
+                fi
+                interp=
+            done
+        fi
+
         if test x$interp = x; then
 	    as_fn_error $? "python$PACKAGE_VERSION interpreter not found" "$LINENO" 5
 	fi
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -56,13 +56,18 @@
 if test "$cross_compiling" = yes; then
     AC_MSG_CHECKING([for python interpreter for cross build])
     if test -z "$PYTHON_FOR_BUILD"; then
-        for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python; do
-	    which $interp >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
-	    if $interp -c 'import sys;sys.exit(not sys.version_info@<:@:2@:>@ >= (3,3))'; then
-	        break
-	    fi
-            interp=
-	done
+        if test ! -z "$HOSTPYTHON" && PYTHONPATH="$ac_abs_confdir/Lib" "$HOSTPYTHON" -S -c 'import sys;sys.exit(not sys.version_info@<:@:2@:>@ >= (3,3))'; then
+            interp="$HOSTPYTHON"
+        else
+            for interp in python$PACKAGE_VERSION python3 python; do
+                which $interp >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
+                if $interp -c 'import sys;sys.exit(not sys.version_info@<:@:2@:>@ >= (3,3))'; then
+                    break
+                fi
+                interp=
+            done
+        fi
+
         if test x$interp = x; then
 	    AC_MSG_ERROR([python$PACKAGE_VERSION interpreter not found])
 	fi