diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 8377926a7..892ed1277 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 New in spot 1.99.1a (not yet released)
 
+  * A missing Python.h is now diagnosied at ./configure time,
+    with the suggestion to either install python3-devel, or
+    run ./configure --disable-python.
+
   * Bugs fixed:
     - p[+][:*2] was not detected as belonging to siPSL
     - scc_filter() would incorrectly remove Fin marks from
diff --git a/THANKS b/THANKS
index 89654bba6..8622695fd 100644
--- a/THANKS
+++ b/THANKS
@@ -24,4 +24,5 @@ Rüdiger Ehlers
 Silien Hong
 Sonali Dutta
 Tomáš Babiak
+Vitus Lam
 Yann Thierry-Mieg
diff --git a/m4/pypath.m4 b/m4/pypath.m4
index 864f23f12..9a11465b5 100644
--- a/m4/pypath.m4
+++ b/m4/pypath.m4
@@ -8,4 +8,17 @@ AC_DEFUN([adl_CHECK_PYTHON],
     [adl_cv_python_inc],
     [adl_cv_python_inc=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; from distutils import sysconfig;]
 [sys.stdout.write(sysconfig.get_python_inc())" 2>/dev/null`])
-  AC_SUBST([PYTHONINC], [$adl_cv_python_inc])])
+  AC_SUBST([PYTHONINC], [$adl_cv_python_inc])
+  adl_save_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
+  CPPFLAGS="$ac_save_CPPFLAGS -I$PYTHONINC"
+  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([Python.h],,
+                   [AC_MSG_ERROR([Python's development headers are not installed.
+
+The package to install is often called python3-devel, but that name
+might be different in your distribution.  Note that if you do not plan
+to use Spot's Python bindings, you may also disable their compilation
+by running
+  ./configure --disable-python
+and in this case you do not need python3-devel installed.])])
+  CPPFLAGS=$ac_save_CPPFLAGS
+])