diff --git a/tools/perf/config/Makefile b/tools/perf/config/Makefile
index 595c0e0dd139..63ba069868c9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/config/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/config/Makefile
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ FEATURE_TESTS =				\
 	gtk2-infobar			\
 	libperl				\
 	libpython			\
+	libpython-version		\
 	libnuma
 
 $(foreach test,$(FEATURE_TESTS),$(call feature_check,$(test),$(test)))
@@ -372,7 +373,7 @@ else
         $(call disable-python,Python.h (for Python 2.x))
       else
 
-        ifneq ($(call try-cc,$(SOURCE_PYTHON_VERSION),$(FLAGS_PYTHON_EMBED),python version),y)
+        ifneq ($(feature-libpython-version), 1)
           $(warning Python 3 is not yet supported; please set)
           $(warning PYTHON and/or PYTHON_CONFIG appropriately.)
           $(warning If you also have Python 2 installed, then)
diff --git a/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/Makefile b/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/Makefile
index e7ed05aa5710..d15074d77243 100644
--- a/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/Makefile
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ FILES=					\
 	test-gtk2-infobar		\
 	test-libperl			\
 	test-libpython			\
+	test-libpython-version		\
 	test-libnuma
 
 CC := $(CC) -MD
@@ -108,6 +109,9 @@ FLAGS_PYTHON_EMBED = $(PYTHON_EMBED_CCOPTS) $(PYTHON_EMBED_LDOPTS)
 test-libpython:
 	$(BUILD) $(FLAGS_PYTHON_EMBED)
 
+test-libpython-version:
+	$(BUILD) $(FLAGS_PYTHON_EMBED)
+
 -include *.d */*.d
 
 ###############################
diff --git a/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/test-libpython-version.c b/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/test-libpython-version.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..facea122d812
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/perf/config/feature-checks/test-libpython-version.c
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <Python.h>
+
+#if PY_VERSION_HEX >= 0x03000000
+	#error
+#endif
+
+int main(void)
+{
+	return 0;
+}