diff --git a/configure-debug b/configure-debug
index a787e746..82734474 100755
--- a/configure-debug
+++ b/configure-debug
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 ./configure PYTHON_VERSION=3 CFLAGS='-g3 -O0' CXXFLAGS='-g3 -O0' --enable-python-plugins $@
+#./configure CFLAGS='-g3 -O0' CXXFLAGS='-g3 -O0' --enable-python-plugins $@
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e6ee131e..8d06ecfe 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ elif test "x$enable_python_plugins" = xyes; then
         fi
     fi
     AS_IF([test "x$PLATFORM" = xosx], [rm -f Python.framework])
-    AS_IF([test "x$PYTHON_VERSION" = x3], [AC_DEFINE([PYTHON3], [1], [Python 3 build])])
 else
     AM_CONDITIONAL([BUILD_PYTHON_API], [false])
 fi
diff --git a/src/plugins/python_api.c b/src/plugins/python_api.c
index 70e67820..e0d54c1c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/python_api.c
+++ b/src/plugins/python_api.c
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ python_api_register_command(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
         Py_ssize_t i = 0;
         for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
             PyObject *item = PyList_GetItem(synopsis, i);
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             char *c_item = PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(item));
 #else
             char *c_item = PyString_AsString(item);
@@ -149,14 +149,14 @@ python_api_register_command(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
                 return Py_BuildValue("");
             }
             PyObject *arg = PyList_GetItem(item, 0);
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             char *c_arg = PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(arg));
 #else
             char *c_arg = PyString_AsString(arg);
 #endif
             PyObject *desc = PyList_GetItem(item, 1);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             char *c_desc = PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(desc));
 #else
             char *c_desc = PyString_AsString(desc);
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ python_api_register_command(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
         i = 0;
         for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
             PyObject *item = PyList_GetItem(examples, i);
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             char *c_item = PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(item));
 #else
             char *c_item = PyString_AsString(item);
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ python_api_completer_add(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
     Py_ssize_t i = 0;
     for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
         PyObject *item = PyList_GetItem(items, i);
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
         char *c_item = PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(item));
 #else
         char *c_item = PyString_AsString(item);
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ python_api_completer_remove(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
     Py_ssize_t i = 0;
     for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
         PyObject *item = PyList_GetItem(items, i);
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
         char *c_item = PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(item));
 #else
         char *c_item = PyString_AsString(item);
@@ -809,7 +809,7 @@ python_window_callback(PluginWindowCallback *window_callback, char *tag, char *l
 
 static PyMethodDef apiMethods[] = {
     { "cons_alert", python_api_cons_alert, METH_NOARGS, "Highlight the console window in the status bar." },
-    { "cons_show", (PyCFunction)python_api_cons_show, METH_VARARGS, "Print a line to the console." },
+    { "cons_show", python_api_cons_show, METH_VARARGS, "Print a line to the console." },
     { "cons_show_themed", python_api_cons_show_themed, METH_VARARGS, "Print a themed line to the console" },
     { "cons_bad_cmd_usage", python_api_cons_bad_cmd_usage, METH_VARARGS, "Show invalid command message in console" },
     { "register_command", python_api_register_command, METH_VARARGS, "Register a command." },
@@ -845,22 +845,28 @@ static PyMethodDef apiMethods[] = {
     { NULL, NULL, 0, NULL }
 };
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
 static struct PyModuleDef profModule =
 {
     PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
-    "prof", /* name of module */
-    "",          /* module documentation, may be NULL */
-    -1,          /* size of per-interpreter state of the module, or -1 if the module keeps state in global variables. */
+    "prof",
+    "",
+    -1,
     apiMethods
 };
 #endif
 
-void
+PyMODINIT_FUNC
 python_api_init(void)
 {
-#ifdef PYTHON3
-    PyModule_Create(&profModule);
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    PyObject *result = PyModule_Create(&profModule);
+    if (!result) {
+        log_debug("Failed to initialise prof module");
+    } else {
+        log_debug("Initialised prof module");
+    }
+    return result;
 #else
     Py_InitModule("prof", apiMethods);
 #endif
@@ -871,7 +877,7 @@ _python_plugin_name(void)
 {
     PyThreadState *ts = PyThreadState_Get();
     PyFrameObject *frame = ts->frame;
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
     char const *filename = PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(frame->f_code->co_filename));
 #else
     char const* filename = PyString_AsString(frame->f_code->co_filename);
diff --git a/src/plugins/python_api.h b/src/plugins/python_api.h
index f936a9cb..339ac06b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/python_api.h
+++ b/src/plugins/python_api.h
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@
 #ifndef PYTHON_API_H
 #define PYTHON_API_H
 
+#include <Python.h>
+
 void python_env_init(void);
-void python_api_init(void);
+PyMODINIT_FUNC python_api_init(void);
 void python_shutdown(void);
 
 void python_command_callback(PluginCommand *command, gchar **args);
diff --git a/src/plugins/python_plugins.c b/src/plugins/python_plugins.c
index ab50c10e..670dd46f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/python_plugins.c
+++ b/src/plugins/python_plugins.c
@@ -68,22 +68,34 @@ _unref_module(PyObject *module)
 void
 python_env_init(void)
 {
+
     loaded_modules = g_hash_table_new_full(g_str_hash, g_str_equal, free, (GDestroyNotify)_unref_module);
 
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
+    PyImport_AppendInittab("prof", python_api_init);
+    Py_Initialize();
+    PyEval_InitThreads();
+#else
     Py_Initialize();
     PyEval_InitThreads();
     python_api_init();
+#endif
 
+    const char *ver = Py_GetVersion();
+    cons_show("PYTHON: %s", ver);
+
+    gchar *plugins_dir = plugins_get_dir();
     GString *path = g_string_new("import sys\n");
     g_string_append(path, "sys.path.append(\"");
-    gchar *plugins_dir = plugins_get_dir();
     g_string_append(path, plugins_dir);
-    g_free(plugins_dir);
     g_string_append(path, "/\")\n");
 
     PyRun_SimpleString(path->str);
+    python_check_error();
 
     g_string_free(path, TRUE);
+    g_free(plugins_dir);
+
     allow_python_threads();
 }
 
@@ -98,7 +110,9 @@ python_plugin_create(const char *const filename)
     } else {
         gchar *module_name = g_strndup(filename, strlen(filename) - 3);
         p_module = PyImport_ImportModule(module_name);
-        g_hash_table_insert(loaded_modules, strdup(filename), p_module);
+        if (p_module) {
+            g_hash_table_insert(loaded_modules, strdup(filename), p_module);
+        }
         g_free(module_name);
     }
 
@@ -280,7 +294,7 @@ python_pre_chat_message_display_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char *const jid,
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -350,7 +364,7 @@ python_pre_chat_message_send_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char * const jid, co
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -420,7 +434,7 @@ python_pre_room_message_display_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char * const room
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -491,7 +505,7 @@ python_pre_room_message_send_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char *const room, co
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -584,7 +598,7 @@ python_pre_priv_message_display_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char *const room,
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -656,7 +670,7 @@ python_pre_priv_message_send_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char *const room, co
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -727,7 +741,7 @@ python_on_message_stanza_send_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char *const text)
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -805,7 +819,7 @@ python_on_presence_stanza_send_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char *const text)
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -883,7 +897,7 @@ python_on_iq_stanza_send_hook(ProfPlugin *plugin, const char *const text)
             python_check_error();
             Py_XDECREF(p_function);
 
-#ifdef PYTHON3
+#if PY_MAJOR_VERSION >= 3
             if (result != Py_None) {
                 char *result_str = strdup(PyBytes_AS_STRING(PyUnicode_AsUTF8String(result)));
                 Py_XDECREF(result);
@@ -1036,6 +1050,7 @@ python_check_error(void)
 {
     if (PyErr_Occurred()) {
         PyErr_Print();
+        PyRun_SimpleString("import sys\nsys.stdout.flush()");
         PyErr_Clear();
     }
 }