diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3e17365b8..a476f4e01 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ PREFIX ?= /usr/local
 BINDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/bin
 MANDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/man
 SHAREDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/share
-PYTHON ?= /usr/bin/env python
+PYTHON ?=
 
 # set SYSCONFDIR to /etc if PREFIX=/usr or PREFIX=/usr/local
 SYSCONFDIR = $(shell if [ $(PREFIX) = /usr -o $(PREFIX) = /usr/local ]; then echo /etc; else echo $(PREFIX)/etc; fi)
@@ -65,12 +65,17 @@ youtube-dl: youtube_dl/*.py youtube_dl/*/*.py
 	done
 	touch -t 200001010101 zip/youtube_dl/*.py zip/youtube_dl/*/*.py
 	mv zip/youtube_dl/__main__.py zip/
-	cd zip ; zip -q ../youtube-dl youtube_dl/*.py youtube_dl/*/*.py __main__.py
+	cd zip && zip -q "../$@" youtube_dl/*.py youtube_dl/*/*.py __main__.py
 	rm -rf zip
-	echo '#!$(PYTHON)' > youtube-dl
-	cat youtube-dl.zip >> youtube-dl
-	rm youtube-dl.zip
-	chmod a+x youtube-dl
+	[ -n "$(PYTHON)" ] && > "$@" echo "#!$(PYTHON)" || > "$@" echo "#!/bin/sh\\n\
+	''':'\\n\
+	python=python3\\n\
+	command -v \"\$$python\" > /dev/null || python=python\\n\
+	exec /usr/bin/env \"\$$python\" \"\$$0\" \"\$$@\"\\n\
+	'''"
+	cat "$@.zip" >> "$@"
+	rm "$@.zip"
+	chmod a+x "$@"
 
 README.md: youtube_dl/*.py youtube_dl/*/*.py
 	COLUMNS=80 $(PYTHON) youtube_dl/__main__.py --help | $(PYTHON) devscripts/make_readme.py