diff --git a/cmake/Modules/SetupPython.cmake b/cmake/Modules/SetupPython.cmake
index db7131108..d5c799a9f 100644
--- a/cmake/Modules/SetupPython.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Modules/SetupPython.cmake
@@ -26,9 +26,13 @@ if (PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
     message(STATUS "User set python executable ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
     find_package(PythonInterp ${GNSSSDR_PYTHON_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
 else (PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
-    message(STATUS "PYTHON_EXECUTABLE not set - using default python3")
-    message(STATUS "Use -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/path/to/python2 to build for python2.")
-    find_package(PythonInterp ${GNSSSDR_PYTHON3_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
+    message(STATUS "PYTHON_EXECUTABLE not set - using default python2")
+    find_package(PythonInterp ${GNSSSDR_PYTHON_MIN_VERSION})
+    if(NOT PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
+        # message(STATUS "Use -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/path/to/python2 to build for python2.")
+        message(STATUS "python2 not found - using python3")
+        find_package(PythonInterp ${GNSSSDR_PYTHON3_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
+     endif(NOT PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
 endif (PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
 
 if (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_EQUAL 3)
diff --git a/src/algorithms/libs/volk_gnsssdr_module/volk_gnsssdr/cmake/Modules/VolkPython.cmake b/src/algorithms/libs/volk_gnsssdr_module/volk_gnsssdr/cmake/Modules/VolkPython.cmake
index 06d69c6c7..f54869396 100644
--- a/src/algorithms/libs/volk_gnsssdr_module/volk_gnsssdr/cmake/Modules/VolkPython.cmake
+++ b/src/algorithms/libs/volk_gnsssdr_module/volk_gnsssdr/cmake/Modules/VolkPython.cmake
@@ -29,17 +29,17 @@ set(VOLK_PYTHON_MIN_VERSION "2.7")
 set(VOLK_PYTHON3_MIN_VERSION "3.4")
 if (PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
     message(STATUS "User set python executable ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}")
-    find_package(PythonInterp ${VOLK_PYTHON_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
-else (PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
-    message(STATUS "PYTHON_EXECUTABLE not set - using default python3")
-    message(STATUS "Use -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/path/to/python2 to build for python2.")
     find_package(PythonInterp ${VOLK_PYTHON3_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
+else (PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
+    message(STATUS "PYTHON_EXECUTABLE not set - using default python2")
+    message(STATUS "Use -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=/path/to/python3 to build for python3.")
+    find_package(PythonInterp ${VOLK_PYTHON_MIN_VERSION})
+    if(NOT PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
+        message(STATUS "python2 not found - using python3")
+        find_package(PythonInterp ${VOLK_PYTHON3_MIN_VERSION} REQUIRED)
+     endif(NOT PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
 endif (PYTHON_EXECUTABLE)
 
-if (${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR} VERSION_EQUAL 3)
-    set(PYTHON3 TRUE)
-endif ()
-
 find_package(PythonLibs ${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR} EXACT)
 
 ########################################################################