--- /usr/portage/sci-libs/vtk/vtk-4.2.6.ebuild	2005-10-08 17:36:10.000000000 +0000
+++ ./vtk-4.2.6.ebuild	2005-11-09 04:58:56.000000000 +0000
@@ -71,7 +71,22 @@
 		CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DVTK_USE_MPI:BOOL=ON"
 		use !threads && CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DVTK_USE_PARALLEL:BOOL=ON"
 	fi
-	use python && CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DVTK_WRAP_PYTHON:BOOL=ON"
+
+	if use python; then
+		
+		#determine installed python version
+		local tmp="$(/usr/bin/python -V 2>&1 )"
+		local PY_VERSION="${tmp#Python }"
+		local PY_MAJOR="$(echo ${PY_VERSION} | cut -d. -f1)"
+		local PY_MINOR="$(echo ${PY_VERSION} | cut -d. -f2)"
+		local PY_VERSION="${PY_MAJOR}.${PY_MINOR}"
+
+		# set variables
+		CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DVTK_WRAP_PYTHON:BOOL=ON"
+		CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DPYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH:PATH=/usr/include/python${PY_VERSION}"
+		CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DPYTHON_LIBRARY:PATH=/usr/lib/libpython${PY_VERSION}.so"
+	fi
+
 	use tcltk && CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DVTK_WRAP_TCL:BOOL=ON"
 	use threads && CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DVTK_USE_PARALLEL:BOOL=ON"
 	use patented && CMAKE_VARIABLES="${CMAKE_VARIABLES} -DVTK_USE_PATENTED:BOOL=ON"