--- a/python/Makefile.am
+++ b/python/Makefile.am
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ pylibdir = @PYTHON_LIB@
 
 # Install as _DATA rather than _SCRIPTS because we don't want to make these
 # executable (they don't have a #! line).
-pylib_DATA = xapian.py xapian.pyc xapian.pyo
+pylib_DATA = xapian.py
 
 pylib_LTLIBRARIES = _xapian.la
 
@@ -53,20 +53,12 @@ _xapian_la_LIBADD = $(XAPIAN_LIBS) $(PYT
 xapian.py: modern/xapian.py
 	cp `test -f modern/xapian.py || echo '$(srcdir)/'`modern/xapian.py .
 
-# We "import _xapian" first so that if we fail to import the glue library
-# we don't generate a broken xapian.pyc or xapian.pyo.
-xapian.pyc: xapian.py _xapian$(PYTHON_SO)
-	PYTHONPATH=. $(PYTHON) -c "import _xapian;import xapian"
-
-xapian.pyo: xapian.py _xapian$(PYTHON_SO)
-	PYTHONPATH=. $(PYTHON) -O -c "import _xapian;import xapian"
-
 _xapian$(PYTHON_SO): _xapian.la
 	$(LIBTOOL) --config > libtoolconfig.tmp
 	. ./libtoolconfig.tmp; cp $$objdir/_xapian$(PYTHON_SO) .
 	rm -f libtoolconfig.tmp
 
-CLEANFILES = _xapian$(PYTHON_SO) xapian.py xapian.pyc xapian.pyo testsuite.pyc
+CLEANFILES = _xapian$(PYTHON_SO) xapian.py testsuite.pyc
 
 if MAINTAINER_MODE
 # We need to explicitly set -outdir because on Windows, SWIG splits paths at
--- a/python/Makefile.in
+++ b/python/Makefile.in
@@ -292,14 +292,14 @@ pylibdir = @PYTHON_LIB@
 
 # Install as _DATA rather than _SCRIPTS because we don't want to make these
 # executable (they don't have a #! line).
-pylib_DATA = xapian.py xapian.pyc xapian.pyo
+pylib_DATA = xapian.py
 pylib_LTLIBRARIES = _xapian.la
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(PYTHON_INC)
 AM_CXXFLAGS = $(SWIG_CXXFLAGS) $(XAPIAN_CXXFLAGS)
 _xapian_la_LDFLAGS = -avoid-version -module -shrext "$(PYTHON_SO)" $(NO_UNDEFINED)
 _xapian_la_SOURCES = modern/xapian_wrap.cc
 _xapian_la_LIBADD = $(XAPIAN_LIBS) $(PYTHON_LIBS)
-CLEANFILES = _xapian$(PYTHON_SO) xapian.py xapian.pyc xapian.pyo \
+CLEANFILES = _xapian$(PYTHON_SO) xapian.py \
 	testsuite.pyc $(am__append_2)
 @MAINTAINER_MODE_FALSE@MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = $(BUILT_SOURCES)
 all: $(BUILT_SOURCES)
@@ -819,14 +819,6 @@ uninstall-local:
 xapian.py: modern/xapian.py
 	cp `test -f modern/xapian.py || echo '$(srcdir)/'`modern/xapian.py .
 
-# We "import _xapian" first so that if we fail to import the glue library
-# we don't generate a broken xapian.pyc or xapian.pyo.
-xapian.pyc: xapian.py _xapian$(PYTHON_SO)
-	PYTHONPATH=. $(PYTHON) -c "import _xapian;import xapian"
-
-xapian.pyo: xapian.py _xapian$(PYTHON_SO)
-	PYTHONPATH=. $(PYTHON) -O -c "import _xapian;import xapian"
-
 _xapian$(PYTHON_SO): _xapian.la
 	$(LIBTOOL) --config > libtoolconfig.tmp
 	. ./libtoolconfig.tmp; cp $$objdir/_xapian$(PYTHON_SO) .