diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 0694dce86..d89e4413a 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -17734,7 +17734,14 @@ ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
         #
 
    if test ! -z "$PYTHON_VERSION"; then
-	if test `$PYTHON -c "print('$PYTHON_VERSION' >= '2.4.0')"` = "False"; then
+	badversion="no"
+	if test "$PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR" -lt 2; then
+		badversion="yes"
+	fi
+	if test "$PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR" -eq 2 -a "$PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR" -lt 4; then
+		badversion="yes"
+	fi
+	if test "$badversion" = "yes"; then
 		as_fn_error $? "Python version >= 2.4.0 is required" "$LINENO" 5
 	fi
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2c7583310..c7d3a08f1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -734,7 +734,14 @@ if test x_$ub_test_python != x_no; then
    ac_save_LIBS="$LIBS" dnl otherwise AC_PYTHON_DEVEL thrashes $LIBS
    AC_PYTHON_DEVEL
    if test ! -z "$PYTHON_VERSION"; then
-	if test `$PYTHON -c "print('$PYTHON_VERSION' >= '2.4.0')"` = "False"; then
+	badversion="no"
+	if test "$PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR" -lt 2; then
+		badversion="yes"
+	fi
+	if test "$PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR" -eq 2 -a "$PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR" -lt 4; then
+		badversion="yes"
+	fi
+	if test "$badversion" = "yes"; then
 		AC_MSG_ERROR([Python version >= 2.4.0 is required])
 	fi
 
diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index f8d5b5668..d0db27d62 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 9 January 2023: Wouter
 	- Fix python module install path detection.
+	- Fix python version detection in configure.
 
 6 January 2023: Wouter
 	- Fix #823: Response change to NODATA for some ANY queries since