diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e57d9754e28f280cb3074094c800c97dbdb91d12..5b868066060de7e2e892f911bc47d78afe43fc1d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1560,9 +1560,8 @@ $(patsubst %.py,%,$(SCRIPT_PYTHON)): % : %.py
 	    -e '}' \
 	    -e 's|^import sys.*|&; \\\
 	           import os; \\\
-	           sys.path[0] = os.environ.has_key("GITPYTHONLIB") and \\\
-	                         os.environ["GITPYTHONLIB"] or \\\
-	                         "@@INSTLIBDIR@@"|' \
+	           sys.path.insert(0, os.getenv("GITPYTHONLIB",\
+	                                        "@@INSTLIBDIR@@"));|' \
 	    -e 's|@@INSTLIBDIR@@|'"$$INSTLIBDIR"'|g' \
 	    $@.py >$@+ && \
 	chmod +x $@+ && \