diff --git a/m4/ax_boost_python.m4 b/m4/ax_boost_python.m4
index 90dfa0ec0..385af3ef5 100644
--- a/m4/ax_boost_python.m4
+++ b/m4/ax_boost_python.m4
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # ===========================================================================
-#         http://www.nongnu.org/autoconf-archive/ax_boost_python.html
+#      http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf-archive/ax_boost_python.html
 # ===========================================================================
 #
 # SYNOPSIS
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 # DESCRIPTION
 #
 #   This macro checks to see if the Boost.Python library is installed. It
-#   also attempts to guess the currect library name using several attempts.
+#   also attempts to guess the correct library name using several attempts.
 #   It tries to build the library name using a user supplied name or suffix
 #   and then just the raw library.
 #
@@ -18,20 +18,14 @@
 #
 #   This macro calls AC_SUBST(BOOST_PYTHON_LIB).
 #
-#   In order to ensure that the Python headers are specified on the include
-#   path, this macro requires AX_PYTHON to be called.
-#
-#   EDIT:
-#   2009-09-14 Cristian Greco <cristian.debian@gmail.com>
-#    - Require AX_PYTHON_DEVEL to be called before this macro to properly
-#      detect python include path, instead of AX_PYTHON.
-#   2009-09-07 Cristian Greco <cristian.debian@gmail.com>
-#    - Prefix BOOST_PYTHON_LIB with a `-l` for consistency with other
-#      ax_boost_libname.m4 scripts.
+#   In order to ensure that the Python headers and the Boost libraries are
+#   specified on the include path, this macro requires AX_PYTHON_DEVEL and
+#   AX_BOOST_BASE to be called.
 #
 # LICENSE
 #
 #   Copyright (c) 2008 Michael Tindal
+#   Copyright (c) 2013 Daniel M"ullner <daniel@danifold.net>
 #
 #   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 #   under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
@@ -59,45 +53,69 @@
 #   modified version of the Autoconf Macro, you may extend this special
 #   exception to the GPL to apply to your modified version as well.
 
+#serial 21
+
 AC_DEFUN([AX_BOOST_PYTHON],
 [AC_REQUIRE([AX_PYTHON_DEVEL])dnl
+AC_REQUIRE([AX_BOOST_BASE])dnl
+AC_LANG_PUSH([C++])
+ax_boost_python_save_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
+ax_boost_python_save_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
+ax_boost_python_save_LIBS="$LIBS"
+if test "x$PYTHON_CPPFLAGS" != "x"; then
+  CPPFLAGS="$PYTHON_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS"
+fi
+
+# Versions of AX_PYTHON_DEVEL() before serial 18 provided PYTHON_LDFLAGS
+# instead of PYTHON_LIBS, so this is just here for compatibility.
+if test "x$PYTHON_LDFLAGS" != "x"; then
+  LDFLAGS="$PYTHON_LDFLAGS $LDFLAGS"
+fi
+
+# Note: Only versions of AX_PYTHON_DEVEL() since serial 18 provide PYTHON_LIBS
+# instead of PYTHON_LDFLAGS.
+if test "x$PYTHON_LIBS" != "x"; then
+  LIBS="$PYTHON_LIBS $LIBS"
+fi
+
+if test "x$BOOST_CPPFLAGS" != "x"; then
+  CPPFLAGS="$BOOST_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS"
+fi
+if test "x$BOOST_LDFLAGS" != "x"; then
+  LDFLAGS="$BOOST_LDFLAGS $LDFLAGS"
+fi
 AC_CACHE_CHECK(whether the Boost::Python library is available,
 ac_cv_boost_python,
-[AC_LANG_SAVE
- AC_LANG_CPLUSPLUS
- CPPFLAGS_SAVE=$CPPFLAGS
- if test "x$PYTHON_CPPFLAGS" != "x"; then
-   CPPFLAGS="$PYTHON_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS"
- fi
- AC_COMPILE_IFELSE(AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
- #include <boost/python/module.hpp>
- using namespace boost::python;
- BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(test) { throw "Boost::Python test."; }]],
- 			   [[return 0;]]),
-  			   ac_cv_boost_python=yes, ac_cv_boost_python=no)
- AC_LANG_RESTORE
- CPPFLAGS=$CPPFLAGS_SAVE
+[AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+#include <boost/python/module.hpp>
+BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(test) { throw "Boost::Python test."; }]], [])],
+    ac_cv_boost_python=yes, ac_cv_boost_python=no)
 ])
-if test "x$ac_cv_boost_python" = "xyes"; then
-  AC_DEFINE(HAVE_BOOST_PYTHON,[1],[define if the Boost::Python library is available])
-  dnl
-  LDFLAGS_SAVE=$LDFLAGS
-  if test "x$PYTHON_LDFLAGS" != "x"; then
-     LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS $PYTHON_LDFLAGS"
-  fi
-  dnl
+if test "$ac_cv_boost_python" = "yes"; then
+  AC_DEFINE(HAVE_BOOST_PYTHON,,[define if the Boost::Python library is available])
   ax_python_lib=boost_python
-  AC_ARG_WITH([boost-python],AS_HELP_STRING([--with-boost-python],[specify the boost python library or suffix to use]),
-  [if test "x$with_boost_python" != "xno"; then
-     ax_python_lib="$with_boost_python"
-     ax_boost_python_lib="boost_python-$with_boost_python"
+  AC_ARG_WITH([boost-python],AS_HELP_STRING([--with-boost-python],[specify yes/no or the boost python library or suffix to use]),
+  [if test "x$with_boost_python" != "xno" -a "x$with_boost_python" != "xyes"; then
+     ax_python_lib=$with_boost_python
+     ax_boost_python_lib=boost_python-$with_boost_python
    fi])
-  for ax_lib in $ax_python_lib $ax_boost_python_lib boost_python; do
-    AC_CHECK_LIB($ax_lib, main, [BOOST_PYTHON_LIB=-l$ax_lib break])
+  BOOSTLIBDIR=`echo $BOOST_LDFLAGS | sed -e 's/@<:@^\/@:>@*//'`
+  for ax_lib in $ax_python_lib $ax_boost_python_lib `ls $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_python*.so* $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_python*.dylib* $BOOSTLIBDIR/libboost_python*.a* 2>/dev/null | sed 's,.*/,,' | sed -e 's;^lib\(boost_python.*\)\.so.*$;\1;' -e 's;^lib\(boost_python.*\)\.dylib.*$;\1;' -e 's;^lib\(boost_python.*\)\.a.*$;\1;' ` boost_python boost_python3; do
+    AS_VAR_PUSHDEF([ax_Lib], [ax_cv_lib_$ax_lib''_BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE])dnl
+    AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether $ax_lib is the correct library], [ax_Lib],
+    [LIBS="-l$ax_lib $ax_boost_python_save_LIBS $PYTHON_LIBS"
+    AC_LINK_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+#include <boost/python/module.hpp>
+BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(test) { throw "Boost::Python test."; }]], [])],
+        [AS_VAR_SET([ax_Lib], [yes])],
+        [AS_VAR_SET([ax_Lib], [no])])])
+    AS_VAR_IF([ax_Lib], [yes], [BOOST_PYTHON_LIB=$ax_lib break], [])
+    AS_VAR_POPDEF([ax_Lib])dnl
   done
-  dnl
-  LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS_SAVE
-  dnl
   AC_SUBST(BOOST_PYTHON_LIB)
 fi
+CPPFLAGS="$ax_boost_python_save_CPPFLAGS"
+LDFLAGS="$ax_boost_python_save_LDFLAGS"
+LIBS="$ax_boost_python_save_LIBS"
+AC_LANG_POP([C++])
 ])dnl