diff --git a/bindings/python/SConscript b/bindings/python/SConscript
index 6ef9f82ab..7e350dd5e 100644
--- a/bindings/python/SConscript
+++ b/bindings/python/SConscript
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ def is_py3():
 prefix = env['PREFIX']
 target_path = env['PYTHON_INSTALL_LOCATION'] + os.path.sep + 'mapnik2'
 
-libraries = ['mapnik2','png','jpeg']
+libraries = ['mapnik2','png']
+
+if env['JPEG']:
+    libraries.append('jpeg')
 
 if env['BOOST_PYTHON_LIB']:
     if os.path.sep in env['BOOST_PYTHON_LIB']:
@@ -168,46 +171,19 @@ sources = glob.glob('*.cpp')
 py_env = env.Clone()
 py_env.Append(CPPPATH = env['PYTHON_INCLUDES'])
 
+if env['HAS_CAIRO']:
+    py_env.Append(CPPPATH = env['CAIROMM_CPPPATHS'])
+
+if env['HAS_PYCAIRO']:
+    py_env.ParseConfig('pkg-config --cflags pycairo')
+    py_env.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-DHAVE_PYCAIRO')
+
 if env['SVN_REVISION']:
     sources.remove('mapnik_python.cpp')
     env2 = py_env.Clone()
     env2.Append(CXXFLAGS='-DSVN_REVISION=%s' % env['SVN_REVISION'])
-    if env['HAS_CAIRO'] or env['HAS_PYCAIRO']:
-        try:
-            if env['HAS_CAIRO']:
-                env2.ParseConfig('pkg-config --cflags cairomm-1.0')
-                env2.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-DHAVE_CAIRO')
-            if env['HAS_PYCAIRO']:
-                env2.ParseConfig('pkg-config --cflags pycairo')
-                env2.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-DHAVE_PYCAIRO')
-        except OSError, e:
-            print '\nFailed to detect cairo/cairomm configuration, please re-run "python scons/scons.py configure"'
-            sys.exit(1)        
     sources.insert(0,env2.SharedObject('mapnik_python.cpp'))
 
-if env['HAS_CAIRO'] or env['HAS_PYCAIRO']:
-    # attach libs to _mapnik.so linking environment
-    cmd = 'pkg-config --libs cairomm-1.0'
-    if env['RUNTIME_LINK'] == 'static':
-        cmd += ' --static'
-    py_env.ParseConfig(cmd)
-    env2 = py_env.Clone()
-    fixup = ['mapnik_image.cpp','python_cairo.cpp']
-    if not env['SVN_REVISION']:
-        fixup.append('mapnik_python.cpp')
-    for cpp in fixup:
-        if cpp in sources:
-            sources.remove(cpp)
-    if env['HAS_CAIRO']:
-        env2.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-DHAVE_CAIRO')
-        env2.ParseConfig('pkg-config --cflags cairomm-1.0')
-    if env['HAS_PYCAIRO']:
-        env2.ParseConfig('pkg-config --cflags pycairo')
-        env2.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-DHAVE_PYCAIRO')
-    for cpp in fixup:
-        sources.insert(0,env2.SharedObject(cpp))
-
-
 _mapnik = py_env.LoadableModule('mapnik/_mapnik2', sources, LIBS=libraries, LDMODULEPREFIX='', LDMODULESUFFIX='.so',LINKFLAGS=linkflags)
 
 Depends(_mapnik, env.subst('../../src/%s' % env['MAPNIK_LIB_NAME']))