diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ea403c30e..00ef50724 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1163,6 +1163,14 @@ AS_IF([test "x$enable_python" != "xno"],[
             AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_INSTALLDIR])
         fi
 
+        AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python extension suffix (PEP-3149)])
+        if test -z "$PYTHON_EXT_SUFFIX"; then
+            python_ext_suffix=`$PYTHON -c "import sysconfig; \
+                                         print (sysconfig.get_config_var('EXT_SUFFIX') or sysconfig.get_config_var('SO'))"`
+            PYTHON_EXT_SUFFIX=$python_ext_suffix
+        fi
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_EXT_SUFFIX])
+
         dnl Look for some optional symbols in libpython.
         old_LIBS="$LIBS"
 
@@ -1183,6 +1191,7 @@ AS_IF([test "x$enable_python" != "xno"],[
     AC_SUBST(PYTHON_PREFIX)
     AC_SUBST(PYTHON_VERSION)
     AC_SUBST(PYTHON_INSTALLDIR)
+    AC_SUBST(PYTHON_EXT_SUFFIX)
 ])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_PYTHON],
     [test "x$PYTHON" != "xno" && test "x$PYTHON_LIBS" != "x" ])
diff --git a/python/Makefile.am b/python/Makefile.am
index ecc25d516..d513695ac 100644
--- a/python/Makefile.am
+++ b/python/Makefile.am
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ libguestfsmod_la_LIBADD = \
 	$(LIBVIRT_LIBS) \
 	../gnulib/lib/libgnu.la
 
-libguestfsmod_la_LDFLAGS = -avoid-version -shared
+libguestfsmod_la_LDFLAGS = -avoid-version -shared -module -shrext $(PYTHON_EXT_SUFFIX)
 
 TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = $(top_builddir)/run --test