--- a/configure.in	Wed May 06 10:37:46 2009 -0700
+++ b/configure.in	Tue May 12 19:34:49 2009 -0700
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@
 #  6. libtool will build libpst.so.x.y.z where the SONAME is libpst.so.x
 #     and x=current-age, y=age, z=revision
 
-libpst_version_info='3:0:1'
+libpst_version_info='4:0:0'
 AC_SUBST(LIBPST_VERSION_INFO, [$libpst_version_info])
-libpst_so_major='2'
+libpst_so_major='4'
 AC_SUBST(LIBPST_SO_MAJOR, [$libpst_so_major])
 
 # libpst
@@ -31,15 +31,6 @@
 # 0.6.38    libpst.so.2     libpst.so.2.1.0
 
 
-# check for boost
-AX_PYTHON
-AX_BOOST_PYTHON
-if test "$ax_python_bin" = "no"; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR(python binary not found)
-fi
-
-AC_SUBST(PYTHON_VERSION, [$ax_python_bin])
-
 
 # Check for win32
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Win32])
@@ -155,6 +146,7 @@
 
 # Checks for library functions.
 AC_FUNC_FSEEKO
+AC_FUNC_STAT
 AC_FUNC_LSTAT
 AC_FUNC_LSTAT_FOLLOWS_SLASHED_SYMLINK
 if test "$cross_compiling" != "yes"; then
@@ -262,6 +254,42 @@
 fi
 
 
+# The following lines adds the --enable-python option to configure:
+#
+# Give the user the choice to enter one of these:
+# --enable-python
+# --enable-python=yes
+# --enable-python=no
+#
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to build the libpst python interface])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([python],
+    AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-python], [build libpst python interface]),
+    [
+        case "${enableval}" in
+          yes) ;;
+          no)  ;;
+          *)   AC_MSG_ERROR(bad value ${enableval} for --python) ;;
+        esac
+    ],
+    [
+        enable_python=no
+    ])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_python])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(PYTHON_INTERFACE, [test "$enable_python" = "yes"])
+if test "$enable_python" = "yes"; then
+	enable_shared="yes"
+    # check for boost
+    AX_PYTHON
+    AX_BOOST_PYTHON
+    if test "$ax_python_bin" = "no"; then
+        AC_MSG_ERROR(python binary not found)
+    fi
+
+    AC_SUBST(PYTHON_VERSION, [$ax_python_bin])
+fi
+
+
+
 AC_OUTPUT(                  \
     Makefile                \
     debian/Makefile         \