diff --git a/docs/Makefile.am b/docs/Makefile.am
index 689fe32f4097c338f35c46354f81cd1e55cdec0f..050ebe1502202a5c4716ef2e2d45db88a3d16f83 100644
--- a/docs/Makefile.am
+++ b/docs/Makefile.am
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ $(python_generated_files): $(srcdir)/apibuild.py \
 		$(srcdir)/../include/libvirt/*.h \
 		$(srcdir)/../src/libvirt.c \
 		$(srcdir)/../src/util/virterror.c
-	$(AM_V_GEN)srcdir=$(srcdir) $(srcdir)/apibuild.py
+	$(AM_V_GEN)srcdir=$(srcdir) $(PYTHON) $(srcdir)/apibuild.py
 
 check-local: all