diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
index c918e66..6d4d622 100644
--- a/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 CC=		@CC@
 CXX=		@CXX@
+MAINCC=		@MAINCC@
 LINKCC=		@LINKCC@
 AR=		@AR@
 RANLIB=		@RANLIB@
@@ -157,7 +158,6 @@
 SYSLIBS=	$(LIBM) $(LIBC)
 SHLIBS=		@SHLIBS@
 
-MAINOBJ=	@MAINOBJ@
 THREADOBJ=	@THREADOBJ@
 DLINCLDIR=	@DLINCLDIR@
 DYNLOADFILE=	@DYNLOADFILE@
@@ -326,9 +326,9 @@
 all:		$(BUILDPYTHON) oldsharedmods sharedmods
 
 # Build the interpreter
-$(BUILDPYTHON):	Modules/$(MAINOBJ) $(LIBRARY) $(LDLIBRARY)
+$(BUILDPYTHON):	Modules/python.o $(LIBRARY) $(LDLIBRARY)
 		$(LINKCC) $(LDFLAGS) $(LINKFORSHARED) -o $@ \
-			Modules/$(MAINOBJ) \
+			Modules/python.o \
 			$(BLDLIBRARY) $(LIBS) $(MODLIBS) $(SYSLIBS) $(LDLAST)
 
 platform: $(BUILDPYTHON)
@@ -448,8 +448,8 @@
 		-DVPATH='"$(VPATH)"' \
 		-o $@ $(srcdir)/Modules/getpath.c
 
-Modules/ccpython.o: $(srcdir)/Modules/ccpython.cc
-	$(CXX) -c $(PY_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(srcdir)/Modules/ccpython.cc
+Modules/python.o: $(srcdir)/Modules/python.c
+	$(MAINCC) -c $(PY_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(srcdir)/Modules/python.c
 
 
 $(GRAMMAR_H) $(GRAMMAR_C): $(PGEN) $(GRAMMAR_INPUT)
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@
 		Include/weakrefobject.h \
 		pyconfig.h
 
-$(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(MODOBJS) Modules/$(MAINOBJ): $(PYTHON_HEADERS)
+$(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(MODOBJS) Modules/python.o: $(PYTHON_HEADERS)
 
 
 ######################################################################
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@
 		fi; \
 	fi
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) Modules/config.c $(DESTDIR)$(LIBPL)/config.c
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) Modules/$(MAINOBJ) $(DESTDIR)$(LIBPL)/$(MAINOBJ)
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) Modules/python.o $(DESTDIR)$(LIBPL)/python.o
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/Modules/config.c.in $(DESTDIR)$(LIBPL)/config.c.in
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) Makefile $(DESTDIR)$(LIBPL)/Makefile
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) Modules/Setup $(DESTDIR)$(LIBPL)/Setup
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index e75047c..0a458c4 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@
 Build
 -----
 
+- Patch #1324762:Remove ccpython.cc; replace --with-cxx with
+  --with-cxx-main. Link with C++ compiler only if --with-cxx-main was
+  specified. (Can be overriden by explicitly setting LINKCC.) Decouple
+  CXX from --with-cxx-main, see description in README.
+
 - Patch #1429775: Link extension modules with the shared libpython.
 
 C API
diff --git a/Modules/ccpython.cc b/Modules/ccpython.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index a6e97ff..0000000
--- a/Modules/ccpython.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-/* Minimal main program -- everything is loaded from the library */
-
-#include "Python.h"
-
-extern "C"
-DL_EXPORT(int) Py_Main( int argc, char *argv[] );
-
-int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
-{
-	return Py_Main(argc, argv);
-}
diff --git a/README b/README
index ca694b5..9a01fe4 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1045,13 +1045,35 @@
 --with-libs='libs': Add 'libs' to the LIBS that the python interpreter
         is linked against.
 
---with-cxx=<compiler>: Some C++ compilers require that main() is
-        compiled with the C++ if there is any C++ code in the application.
-        Specifically, g++ on a.out systems may require that to support
-        construction of global objects. With this option, the main() function
-        of Python will be compiled with <compiler>; use that only if you
-        plan to use C++ extension modules, and if your compiler requires
-        compilation of main() as a C++ program.
+--with-cxx-main=<compiler>: If you plan to use C++ extension modules,
+        then -- on some platforms -- you need to compile python's main()
+        function with the C++ compiler. With this option, make will use
+        <compiler> to compile main() *and* to link the python executable.
+        It is likely that the resulting executable depends on the C++
+        runtime library of <compiler>. (The default is --without-cxx-main.)
+
+        There are platforms that do not require you to build Python
+        with a C++ compiler in order to use C++ extension modules.
+        E.g., x86 Linux with ELF shared binaries and GCC 3.x, 4.x is such
+        a platform. We recommend that you configure Python
+        --without-cxx-main on those platforms because a mismatch
+        between the C++ compiler version used to build Python and to
+        build a C++ extension module is likely to cause a crash at
+        runtime.
+
+        The Python installation also stores the variable CXX that
+        determines, e.g., the C++ compiler distutils calls by default
+        to build C++ extensions. If you set CXX on the configure command
+        line to any string of non-zero length, then configure won't
+        change CXX. If you do not preset CXX but pass
+        --with-cxx-main=<compiler>, then configure sets CXX=<compiler>.
+        In all other cases, configure looks for a C++ compiler by
+        some common names (c++, g++, gcc, CC, cxx, cc++, cl) and sets
+        CXX to the first compiler it finds. If it does not find any
+        C++ compiler, then it sets CXX="".
+
+        Similarly, if you want to change the command used to link the
+        python executable, then set LINKCC on the configure command line.
 
 
 --with-pydebug:  Enable additional debugging code to help track down
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 5ff9d0e..17f4946 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #! /bin/sh
-# From configure.in Revision: 45278 .
+# From configure.in Revision: 45328 .
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
 # Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.59 for python 2.5.
 #
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@
 # include <unistd.h>
 #endif"
 
-ac_subst_vars='SHELL PATH_SEPARATOR PACKAGE_NAME PACKAGE_TARNAME PACKAGE_VERSION PACKAGE_STRING PACKAGE_BUGREPORT exec_prefix prefix program_transform_name bindir sbindir libexecdir datadir sysconfdir sharedstatedir localstatedir libdir includedir oldincludedir infodir mandir build_alias host_alias target_alias DEFS ECHO_C ECHO_N ECHO_T LIBS VERSION SOVERSION CONFIG_ARGS PYTHONFRAMEWORK PYTHONFRAMEWORKDIR PYTHONFRAMEWORKPREFIX PYTHONFRAMEWORKINSTALLDIR MACHDEP SGI_ABI EXTRAPLATDIR EXTRAMACHDEPPATH CONFIGURE_MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET CXX MAINOBJ EXEEXT CC CFLAGS LDFLAGS CPPFLAGS ac_ct_CC OBJEXT CPP EGREP BUILDEXEEXT LIBRARY LDLIBRARY DLLLIBRARY BLDLIBRARY LDLIBRARYDIR INSTSONAME RUNSHARED LINKCC RANLIB ac_ct_RANLIB AR SVNVERSION INSTALL_PROGRAM INSTALL_SCRIPT INSTALL_DATA LN OPT BASECFLAGS OTHER_LIBTOOL_OPT LIBTOOL_CRUFT SO LDSHARED BLDSHARED CCSHARED LINKFORSHARED CFLAGSFORSHARED SHLIBS USE_SIGNAL_MODULE SIGNAL_OBJS USE_THREAD_MODULE LDLAST THREADOBJ DLINCLDIR DYNLOADFILE MACHDEP_OBJS TRUE LIBOBJS HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R_6_ARG HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R_5_ARG HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R_3_ARG HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME LIBM LIBC UNICODE_OBJS THREADHEADERS SRCDIRS LTLIBOBJS'
+ac_subst_vars='SHELL PATH_SEPARATOR PACKAGE_NAME PACKAGE_TARNAME PACKAGE_VERSION PACKAGE_STRING PACKAGE_BUGREPORT exec_prefix prefix program_transform_name bindir sbindir libexecdir datadir sysconfdir sharedstatedir localstatedir libdir includedir oldincludedir infodir mandir build_alias host_alias target_alias DEFS ECHO_C ECHO_N ECHO_T LIBS VERSION SOVERSION CONFIG_ARGS PYTHONFRAMEWORK PYTHONFRAMEWORKDIR PYTHONFRAMEWORKPREFIX PYTHONFRAMEWORKINSTALLDIR MACHDEP SGI_ABI EXTRAPLATDIR EXTRAMACHDEPPATH CONFIGURE_MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET CC CFLAGS LDFLAGS CPPFLAGS ac_ct_CC EXEEXT OBJEXT CXX MAINCC CPP EGREP BUILDEXEEXT LIBRARY LDLIBRARY DLLLIBRARY BLDLIBRARY LDLIBRARYDIR INSTSONAME RUNSHARED LINKCC RANLIB ac_ct_RANLIB AR SVNVERSION INSTALL_PROGRAM INSTALL_SCRIPT INSTALL_DATA LN OPT BASECFLAGS OTHER_LIBTOOL_OPT LIBTOOL_CRUFT SO LDSHARED BLDSHARED CCSHARED LINKFORSHARED CFLAGSFORSHARED SHLIBS USE_SIGNAL_MODULE SIGNAL_OBJS USE_THREAD_MODULE LDLAST THREADOBJ DLINCLDIR DYNLOADFILE MACHDEP_OBJS TRUE LIBOBJS HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R_6_ARG HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R_5_ARG HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R_3_ARG HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME_R HAVE_GETHOSTBYNAME LIBM LIBC UNICODE_OBJS THREADHEADERS SRCDIRS LTLIBOBJS'
 ac_subst_files=''
 
 # Initialize some variables set by options.
@@ -859,7 +859,9 @@
   --with-PACKAGE[=ARG]    use PACKAGE [ARG=yes]
   --without-PACKAGE       do not use PACKAGE (same as --with-PACKAGE=no)
   --without-gcc           never use gcc
-  --with-cxx=<compiler>   enable C++ support
+  --with-cxx-main=<compiler>
+                          compile main() and link python executable with C++
+                          compiler
   --with-suffix=.exe      set executable suffix
   --with-pydebug          build with Py_DEBUG defined
   --with-libs='lib1 ...'  link against additional libs
@@ -1679,258 +1681,6 @@
 echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $without_gcc" >&5
 echo "${ECHO_T}$without_gcc" >&6
 
-
-
-MAINOBJ=python.o
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for --with-cxx=<compiler>" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for --with-cxx=<compiler>... $ECHO_C" >&6
-
-# Check whether --with-cxx or --without-cxx was given.
-if test "${with_cxx+set}" = set; then
-  withval="$with_cxx"
-
-	check_cxx=no
-	case $withval in
-	no)	CXX=
-		with_cxx=no;;
-	*)	CXX=$withval
-		MAINOBJ=ccpython.o
-		with_cxx=$withval;;
-	esac
-else
-
-	with_cxx=no
-	check_cxx=yes
-
-fi;
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $with_cxx" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$with_cxx" >&6
-
-if test "$with_cxx" = "yes"
-then
-	{ { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: must supply a compiler when using --with-cxx" >&5
-echo "$as_me: error: must supply a compiler when using --with-cxx" >&2;}
-   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
-fi
-
-
-
-
-if test "$check_cxx" = "yes"
-then
-	for ac_prog in $CCC c++ g++ gcc CC cxx cc++ cl
-do
-  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
-set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for $ac_word... $ECHO_C" >&6
-if test "${ac_cv_prog_CXX+set}" = set; then
-  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
-else
-  if test -n "$CXX"; then
-  ac_cv_prog_CXX="$CXX" # Let the user override the test.
-else
-as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
-for as_dir in $PATH
-do
-  IFS=$as_save_IFS
-  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
-  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
-  if $as_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
-    ac_cv_prog_CXX="$ac_prog"
-    echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
-    break 2
-  fi
-done
-done
-
-fi
-fi
-CXX=$ac_cv_prog_CXX
-if test -n "$CXX"; then
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $CXX" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$CXX" >&6
-else
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}no" >&6
-fi
-
-  test -n "$CXX" && break
-done
-test -n "$CXX" || CXX="notfound"
-
-	if test "$CXX" = "notfound"
-	then
-		CXX=
-	else
-		ac_ext=cc
-ac_cpp='$CXXCPP $CPPFLAGS'
-ac_compile='$CXX -c $CXXFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
-ac_link='$CXX -o conftest$ac_exeext $CXXFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $LIBS >&5'
-ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_cxx_compiler_gnu
-       cat >conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* confdefs.h.  */
-_ACEOF
-cat confdefs.h >>conftest.$ac_ext
-cat >>conftest.$ac_ext <<_ACEOF
-/* end confdefs.h.  */
-
-int
-main ()
-{
-
-  ;
-  return 0;
-}
-_ACEOF
-ac_clean_files_save=$ac_clean_files
-ac_clean_files="$ac_clean_files a.out a.exe b.out"
-# Try to create an executable without -o first, disregard a.out.
-# It will help us diagnose broken compilers, and finding out an intuition
-# of exeext.
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for C++ compiler default output file name" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for C++ compiler default output file name... $ECHO_C" >&6
-ac_link_default=`echo "$ac_link" | sed 's/ -o *conftest[^ ]*//'`
-if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_link_default\"") >&5
-  (eval $ac_link_default) 2>&5
-  ac_status=$?
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); }; then
-  # Find the output, starting from the most likely.  This scheme is
-# not robust to junk in `.', hence go to wildcards (a.*) only as a last
-# resort.
-
-# Be careful to initialize this variable, since it used to be cached.
-# Otherwise an old cache value of `no' led to `EXEEXT = no' in a Makefile.
-ac_cv_exeext=
-# b.out is created by i960 compilers.
-for ac_file in a_out.exe a.exe conftest.exe a.out conftest a.* conftest.* b.out
-do
-  test -f "$ac_file" || continue
-  case $ac_file in
-    *.$ac_ext | *.xcoff | *.tds | *.d | *.pdb | *.xSYM | *.bb | *.bbg | *.o | *.obj )
-	;;
-    conftest.$ac_ext )
-	# This is the source file.
-	;;
-    [ab].out )
-	# We found the default executable, but exeext='' is most
-	# certainly right.
-	break;;
-    *.* )
-	ac_cv_exeext=`expr "$ac_file" : '[^.]*\(\..*\)'`
-	# FIXME: I believe we export ac_cv_exeext for Libtool,
-	# but it would be cool to find out if it's true.  Does anybody
-	# maintain Libtool? --akim.
-	export ac_cv_exeext
-	break;;
-    * )
-	break;;
-  esac
-done
-else
-  echo "$as_me: failed program was:" >&5
-sed 's/^/| /' conftest.$ac_ext >&5
-
-{ { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: C++ compiler cannot create executables
-See \`config.log' for more details." >&5
-echo "$as_me: error: C++ compiler cannot create executables
-See \`config.log' for more details." >&2;}
-   { (exit 77); exit 77; }; }
-fi
-
-ac_exeext=$ac_cv_exeext
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_file" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_file" >&6
-
-# Check the compiler produces executables we can run.  If not, either
-# the compiler is broken, or we cross compile.
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking whether the C++ compiler works" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking whether the C++ compiler works... $ECHO_C" >&6
-# FIXME: These cross compiler hacks should be removed for Autoconf 3.0
-# If not cross compiling, check that we can run a simple program.
-if test "$cross_compiling" != yes; then
-  if { ac_try='./$ac_file'
-  { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_try\"") >&5
-  (eval $ac_try) 2>&5
-  ac_status=$?
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); }; }; then
-    cross_compiling=no
-  else
-    if test "$cross_compiling" = maybe; then
-	cross_compiling=yes
-    else
-	{ { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: cannot run C++ compiled programs.
-If you meant to cross compile, use \`--host'.
-See \`config.log' for more details." >&5
-echo "$as_me: error: cannot run C++ compiled programs.
-If you meant to cross compile, use \`--host'.
-See \`config.log' for more details." >&2;}
-   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
-    fi
-  fi
-fi
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: yes" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}yes" >&6
-
-rm -f a.out a.exe conftest$ac_cv_exeext b.out
-ac_clean_files=$ac_clean_files_save
-# Check the compiler produces executables we can run.  If not, either
-# the compiler is broken, or we cross compile.
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking whether we are cross compiling" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking whether we are cross compiling... $ECHO_C" >&6
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $cross_compiling" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$cross_compiling" >&6
-
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for suffix of executables" >&5
-echo $ECHO_N "checking for suffix of executables... $ECHO_C" >&6
-if { (eval echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \"$ac_link\"") >&5
-  (eval $ac_link) 2>&5
-  ac_status=$?
-  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: \$? = $ac_status" >&5
-  (exit $ac_status); }; then
-  # If both `conftest.exe' and `conftest' are `present' (well, observable)
-# catch `conftest.exe'.  For instance with Cygwin, `ls conftest' will
-# work properly (i.e., refer to `conftest.exe'), while it won't with
-# `rm'.
-for ac_file in conftest.exe conftest conftest.*; do
-  test -f "$ac_file" || continue
-  case $ac_file in
-    *.$ac_ext | *.xcoff | *.tds | *.d | *.pdb | *.xSYM | *.bb | *.bbg | *.o | *.obj ) ;;
-    *.* ) ac_cv_exeext=`expr "$ac_file" : '[^.]*\(\..*\)'`
-	  export ac_cv_exeext
-	  break;;
-    * ) break;;
-  esac
-done
-else
-  { { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: cannot compute suffix of executables: cannot compile and link
-See \`config.log' for more details." >&5
-echo "$as_me: error: cannot compute suffix of executables: cannot compile and link
-See \`config.log' for more details." >&2;}
-   { (exit 1); exit 1; }; }
-fi
-
-rm -f conftest$ac_cv_exeext
-echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_cv_exeext" >&5
-echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_cv_exeext" >&6
-
-rm -f conftest.$ac_ext
-EXEEXT=$ac_cv_exeext
-ac_exeext=$EXEEXT
-
-       ac_ext=c
-ac_cpp='$CPP $CPPFLAGS'
-ac_compile='$CC -c $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext >&5'
-ac_link='$CC -o conftest$ac_exeext $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $LDFLAGS conftest.$ac_ext $LIBS >&5'
-ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
-
-
-
-	fi
-fi
-
 # If the user switches compilers, we can't believe the cache
 if test ! -z "$ac_cv_prog_CC" -a ! -z "$CC" -a "$CC" != "$ac_cv_prog_CC"
 then
@@ -2872,6 +2622,190 @@
 ac_compiler_gnu=$ac_cv_c_compiler_gnu
 
 
+
+
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for --with-cxx-main=<compiler>" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for --with-cxx-main=<compiler>... $ECHO_C" >&6
+
+# Check whether --with-cxx_main or --without-cxx_main was given.
+if test "${with_cxx_main+set}" = set; then
+  withval="$with_cxx_main"
+
+
+	case $withval in
+	no)	with_cxx_main=no
+		MAINCC='$(CC)';;
+	yes)	with_cxx_main=yes
+		MAINCC='$(CXX)';;
+	*)	with_cxx_main=yes
+		MAINCC=$withval
+		if test -z "$CXX"
+		then
+			CXX=$withval
+		fi;;
+	esac
+else
+
+	with_cxx_main=no
+	MAINCC='$(CC)'
+
+fi;
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $with_cxx_main" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$with_cxx_main" >&6
+
+preset_cxx="$CXX"
+if test -z "$CXX"
+then
+        case "$CC" in
+        gcc)    # Extract the first word of "g++", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy g++; ac_word=$2
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for $ac_word... $ECHO_C" >&6
+if test "${ac_cv_path_CXX+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  case $CXX in
+  [\\/]* | ?:[\\/]*)
+  ac_cv_path_CXX="$CXX" # Let the user override the test with a path.
+  ;;
+  *)
+  as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in notfound
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if $as_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_path_CXX="$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"
+    echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+
+  test -z "$ac_cv_path_CXX" && ac_cv_path_CXX="g++"
+  ;;
+esac
+fi
+CXX=$ac_cv_path_CXX
+
+if test -n "$CXX"; then
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $CXX" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$CXX" >&6
+else
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}no" >&6
+fi
+ ;;
+        cc)     # Extract the first word of "c++", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy c++; ac_word=$2
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for $ac_word... $ECHO_C" >&6
+if test "${ac_cv_path_CXX+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  case $CXX in
+  [\\/]* | ?:[\\/]*)
+  ac_cv_path_CXX="$CXX" # Let the user override the test with a path.
+  ;;
+  *)
+  as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in notfound
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if $as_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_path_CXX="$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"
+    echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+
+  test -z "$ac_cv_path_CXX" && ac_cv_path_CXX="c++"
+  ;;
+esac
+fi
+CXX=$ac_cv_path_CXX
+
+if test -n "$CXX"; then
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $CXX" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$CXX" >&6
+else
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}no" >&6
+fi
+ ;;
+        esac
+	if test "$CXX" = "notfound"
+	then
+		CXX=""
+	fi
+fi
+if test -z "$CXX"
+then
+	for ac_prog in $CCC c++ g++ gcc CC cxx cc++ cl
+do
+  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
+echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for $ac_word... $ECHO_C" >&6
+if test "${ac_cv_prog_CXX+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$CXX"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_CXX="$CXX" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if $as_executable_p "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
+    ac_cv_prog_CXX="$ac_prog"
+    echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+
+fi
+fi
+CXX=$ac_cv_prog_CXX
+if test -n "$CXX"; then
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $CXX" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$CXX" >&6
+else
+  echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}no" >&6
+fi
+
+  test -n "$CXX" && break
+done
+test -n "$CXX" || CXX="notfound"
+
+	if test "$CXX" = "notfound"
+	then
+		CXX=""
+	fi
+fi
+if test "$preset_cxx" != "$CXX"
+then
+        { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING:
+
+  By default, distutils will build C++ extension modules with \"$CXX\".
+  If this is not intended, then set CXX on the configure command line.
+  " >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING:
+
+  By default, distutils will build C++ extension modules with \"$CXX\".
+  If this is not intended, then set CXX on the configure command line.
+  " >&2;}
+fi
+
+
 # checks for UNIX variants that set C preprocessor variables
 
 ac_ext=c
@@ -3274,22 +3208,7 @@
 echo $ECHO_N "checking LINKCC... $ECHO_C" >&6
 if test -z "$LINKCC"
 then
-        if test -z "$CXX"; then
-              LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CC)"
-        else
-              echo 'extern "C" void foo();int main(){foo();}' > conftest_a.cc
-              $CXX -c conftest_a.cc # 2>&5
-              echo 'void foo(){}' > conftest_b.$ac_ext
-              $CC -c conftest_b.$ac_ext # 2>&5
-              if $CC -o conftest$ac_exeext conftest_a.$ac_objext conftest_b.$ac_objext 2>&5 \
-                 && test -s conftest$ac_exeext && ./conftest$ac_exeext
-              then
-                 LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CC)"
-              else
-                 LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CXX)"
-              fi
-              rm -fr conftest*
-        fi
+	LINKCC='$(PURIFY) $(MAINCC)'
 	case $ac_sys_system in
 	AIX*)
 	   exp_extra="\"\""
@@ -22485,15 +22404,15 @@
 s,@EXTRAPLATDIR@,$EXTRAPLATDIR,;t t
 s,@EXTRAMACHDEPPATH@,$EXTRAMACHDEPPATH,;t t
 s,@CONFIGURE_MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET@,$CONFIGURE_MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET,;t t
-s,@CXX@,$CXX,;t t
-s,@MAINOBJ@,$MAINOBJ,;t t
-s,@EXEEXT@,$EXEEXT,;t t
 s,@CC@,$CC,;t t
 s,@CFLAGS@,$CFLAGS,;t t
 s,@LDFLAGS@,$LDFLAGS,;t t
 s,@CPPFLAGS@,$CPPFLAGS,;t t
 s,@ac_ct_CC@,$ac_ct_CC,;t t
+s,@EXEEXT@,$EXEEXT,;t t
 s,@OBJEXT@,$OBJEXT,;t t
+s,@CXX@,$CXX,;t t
+s,@MAINCC@,$MAINCC,;t t
 s,@CPP@,$CPP,;t t
 s,@EGREP@,$EGREP,;t t
 s,@BUILDEXEEXT@,$BUILDEXEEXT,;t t
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index db3b33a..394af6b 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -313,56 +313,6 @@
 	esac])
 AC_MSG_RESULT($without_gcc)
 
-AC_SUBST(CXX)
-AC_SUBST(MAINOBJ)
-MAINOBJ=python.o
-AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-cxx=<compiler>)
-AC_ARG_WITH(cxx,
-            AC_HELP_STRING(--with-cxx=<compiler>, enable C++ support),
-[
-	check_cxx=no
-	case $withval in
-	no)	CXX=
-		with_cxx=no;;
-	*)	CXX=$withval
-		MAINOBJ=ccpython.o
-		with_cxx=$withval;;
-	esac], [
-	with_cxx=no
-	check_cxx=yes
-])
-AC_MSG_RESULT($with_cxx)
-
-if test "$with_cxx" = "yes"
-then
-	AC_MSG_ERROR([must supply a compiler when using --with-cxx])
-fi
-
-dnl The following fragment works similar to AC_PROG_CXX.
-dnl It does not fail if CXX is not found, and it is not executed if 
-dnl --without-cxx was given.
-dnl Finally, it does not test whether CXX is g++.
-
-dnl Autoconf 2.5x does not have AC_PROG_CXX_WORKS anymore
-ifdef([AC_PROG_CXX_WORKS],[],
-      [AC_DEFUN([AC_PROG_CXX_WORKS],
-      [AC_LANG_PUSH(C++)dnl
-       _AC_COMPILER_EXEEXT
-       AC_LANG_POP()
-      ]
-)])
-
-if test "$check_cxx" = "yes" 
-then
-	AC_CHECK_PROGS(CXX, $CCC c++ g++ gcc CC cxx cc++ cl, notfound)
-	if test "$CXX" = "notfound"
-	then
-		CXX=
-	else
-		AC_PROG_CXX_WORKS
-	fi
-fi
-
 # If the user switches compilers, we can't believe the cache
 if test ! -z "$ac_cv_prog_CC" -a ! -z "$CC" -a "$CC" != "$ac_cv_prog_CC"
 then
@@ -372,6 +322,61 @@
 
 AC_PROG_CC
 
+AC_SUBST(CXX)
+AC_SUBST(MAINCC)
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-cxx-main=<compiler>)
+AC_ARG_WITH(cxx_main,
+            AC_HELP_STRING([--with-cxx-main=<compiler>],
+                           [compile main() and link python executable with C++ compiler]),
+[
+	
+	case $withval in
+	no)	with_cxx_main=no
+		MAINCC='$(CC)';;
+	yes)	with_cxx_main=yes
+		MAINCC='$(CXX)';;
+	*)	with_cxx_main=yes
+		MAINCC=$withval
+		if test -z "$CXX"
+		then
+			CXX=$withval
+		fi;;
+	esac], [
+	with_cxx_main=no
+	MAINCC='$(CC)'
+])
+AC_MSG_RESULT($with_cxx_main)
+
+preset_cxx="$CXX"
+if test -z "$CXX"
+then
+        case "$CC" in
+        gcc)    AC_PATH_PROG(CXX, [g++], [g++], [notfound]) ;;
+        cc)     AC_PATH_PROG(CXX, [c++], [c++], [notfound]) ;;
+        esac
+	if test "$CXX" = "notfound"
+	then
+		CXX=""
+	fi
+fi
+if test -z "$CXX"
+then
+	AC_CHECK_PROGS(CXX, $CCC c++ g++ gcc CC cxx cc++ cl, notfound)
+	if test "$CXX" = "notfound"
+	then
+		CXX=""
+	fi
+fi
+if test "$preset_cxx" != "$CXX"
+then
+        AC_MSG_WARN([
+
+  By default, distutils will build C++ extension modules with "$CXX".
+  If this is not intended, then set CXX on the configure command line.
+  ])
+fi
+
+
 # checks for UNIX variants that set C preprocessor variables
 AC_AIX
 
@@ -480,22 +485,7 @@
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(LINKCC)
 if test -z "$LINKCC"
 then
-        if test -z "$CXX"; then
-              LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CC)"
-        else
-              echo 'extern "C" void foo();int main(){foo();}' > conftest_a.cc
-              $CXX -c conftest_a.cc # 2>&5
-              echo 'void foo(){}' > conftest_b.$ac_ext
-              $CC -c conftest_b.$ac_ext # 2>&5
-              if $CC -o conftest$ac_exeext conftest_a.$ac_objext conftest_b.$ac_objext 2>&5 \
-                 && test -s conftest$ac_exeext && ./conftest$ac_exeext
-              then
-                 LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CC)"
-              else
-                 LINKCC="\$(PURIFY) \$(CXX)"
-              fi
-              rm -fr conftest*
-        fi
+	LINKCC='$(PURIFY) $(MAINCC)'
 	case $ac_sys_system in
 	AIX*)
 	   exp_extra="\"\""