diff --git a/m4/python_devel.m4 b/m4/python_devel.m4
index 7f26381376..e365cd658e 100644
--- a/m4/python_devel.m4
+++ b/m4/python_devel.m4
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ AC_PATH_PROG([pyconfig], [$PYTHON-config], [no])
 AS_IF([test x"$pyconfig" = x"no"], [
     dnl For those that don't have python-config
     CPPFLAGS="$CFLAGS `$PYTHON -c 'import distutils.sysconfig; \
-        print "-I" + distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var("INCLUDEPY")'`"
+        print("-I" + distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var("INCLUDEPY"))'`"
     CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS `$PYTHON -c 'import distutils.sysconfig; \
         print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var("CFLAGS"))'`"
     LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS `$PYTHON -c 'import distutils.sysconfig; \
diff --git a/tools/configure b/tools/configure
index f2c66dfce9..82947ad308 100755
--- a/tools/configure
+++ b/tools/configure
@@ -7442,7 +7442,7 @@ fi
 if test x"$pyconfig" = x"no"; then :
 
         CPPFLAGS="$CFLAGS `$PYTHON -c 'import distutils.sysconfig; \
-        print "-I" + distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var("INCLUDEPY")'`"
+        print("-I" + distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var("INCLUDEPY"))'`"
     CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS `$PYTHON -c 'import distutils.sysconfig; \
         print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var("CFLAGS"))'`"
     LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS `$PYTHON -c 'import distutils.sysconfig; \