diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dba0718337..da0776eb2f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -729,19 +729,19 @@ if(GNUWIN32_DIR)
 	list(APPEND CMAKE_PROGRAM_PATH "${GNUWIN32_DIR}/Python" )
 endif()
 
-find_package(PythonInterp 2.7 QUIET)
-if(PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
-	if(PYTHON_VERSION_STRING VERSION_GREATER 2.8)
-	unset(PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
-	endif()
-endif()
-
+# Search for python default version first
+unset(PYTHON_EXECUTABLE CACHE)
+unset(LYX_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE CACHE)
+unset(PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR)
+unset(PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR)
+unset(PYTHON_VERSION_STRING)
+find_package(PythonInterp 3.3 QUIET)
 if(NOT PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
   unset(PYTHON_EXECUTABLE CACHE)
-  unset(PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR)
-  unset(PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR)
-  unset(PYTHON_VERSION_STRING)
-  find_package(PythonInterp 3.3 REQUIRED)
+  find_package(PythonInterp 2.0 REQUIRED)
+  if(NOT PYTHON_VERSION_STRING VERSION_LESS 2.8)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Python interpreter found, but is not suitable")
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 set(LYX_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} CACHE FILEPATH "Python to be used by LyX")