diff --git a/asciidoc-8.6.8-explicit-interpreter.patch b/asciidoc-8.6.8-explicit-interpreter.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dddde5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/asciidoc-8.6.8-explicit-interpreter.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/a2x.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/a2x.py
+--- asciidoc-8.6.8/a2x.py.explicit-interpreter	2014-02-10 17:09:28.400042041 +0100
++++ asciidoc-8.6.8/a2x.py	2014-02-10 17:16:54.945502122 +0100
+@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
+-#!/usr/bin/env python
++#!/usr/bin/python2
+ '''
+ a2x - A toolchain manager for AsciiDoc (converts Asciidoc text files to other
+       file formats)
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/asciidocapi.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/asciidocapi.py
+--- asciidoc-8.6.8/asciidocapi.py.explicit-interpreter	2012-02-29 23:21:24.000000000 +0100
++++ asciidoc-8.6.8/asciidocapi.py	2014-02-10 17:16:54.932502080 +0100
+@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
+-#!/usr/bin/env python
++#!/usr/bin/python2
+ """
+ asciidocapi - AsciiDoc API wrapper class.
+ 
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/asciidoc.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/asciidoc.py
+--- asciidoc-8.6.8/asciidoc.py.explicit-interpreter	2012-07-10 04:47:22.000000000 +0200
++++ asciidoc-8.6.8/asciidoc.py	2014-02-10 17:16:54.960502172 +0100
+@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
+-#!/usr/bin/env python
++#!/usr/bin/python2
+ """
+ asciidoc - converts an AsciiDoc text file to HTML or DocBook
+ 
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/code/code-filter.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/code/code-filter.py
+--- asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/code/code-filter.py.explicit-interpreter	2008-12-31 02:37:47.000000000 +0100
++++ asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/code/code-filter.py	2014-02-10 17:16:54.939502103 +0100
+@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
+-#!/usr/bin/env python
++#!/usr/bin/python2
+ '''
+ NAME
+     code-filter - AsciiDoc filter to highlight language keywords
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/graphviz/graphviz2png.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/graphviz/graphviz2png.py
+--- asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/graphviz/graphviz2png.py.explicit-interpreter	2011-01-31 21:52:09.000000000 +0100
++++ asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/graphviz/graphviz2png.py	2014-02-10 17:16:54.941502110 +0100
+@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
+-#!/usr/bin/env python
++#!/usr/bin/python2
+ 
+ import os, sys, subprocess
+ from optparse import *
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/latex/latex2png.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/latex/latex2png.py
+--- asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/latex/latex2png.py.explicit-interpreter	2012-02-29 03:05:58.000000000 +0100
++++ asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/latex/latex2png.py	2014-02-10 17:16:54.936502093 +0100
+@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
+-#!/usr/bin/env python
++#!/usr/bin/python2
+ '''
+ NAME
+     latex2png - Converts LaTeX source to PNG file
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/music/music2png.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/music/music2png.py
+--- asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/music/music2png.py.explicit-interpreter	2012-07-10 23:32:19.000000000 +0200
++++ asciidoc-8.6.8/filters/music/music2png.py	2014-02-10 17:16:54.934502087 +0100
+@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
+-#!/usr/bin/env python
++#!/usr/bin/python2
+ '''
+ NAME
+     music2png - Converts textual music notation to classically notated PNG file
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/tests/asciidocapi.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/tests/asciidocapi.py
+diff -up asciidoc-8.6.8/tests/testasciidoc.py.explicit-interpreter asciidoc-8.6.8/tests/testasciidoc.py
+--- asciidoc-8.6.8/tests/testasciidoc.py.explicit-interpreter	2012-03-01 00:19:57.000000000 +0100
++++ asciidoc-8.6.8/tests/testasciidoc.py	2014-02-10 17:16:54.965502188 +0100
+@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
+-#!/usr/bin/env python
++#!/usr/bin/python2
+ 
+ USAGE = '''Usage: testasciidoc.py [OPTIONS] COMMAND
+ 
diff --git a/asciidoc.spec b/asciidoc.spec
index 84be57a..162d712 100644
--- a/asciidoc.spec
+++ b/asciidoc.spec
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 Summary: Text based document generation
 Name: asciidoc
 Version: 8.6.8
-Release: 3%{?dist}
+Release: 4%{?dist}
 # The python code does not specify a version.
 # The javascript example code is GPLv2+.
 License: GPL+ and GPLv2+
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ URL: http://www.methods.co.nz/asciidoc/
 Source: http://sourceforge.net/projects/asciidoc/files/%{name}/%{version}/%{name}-%{version}.tar.gz
 
 Patch1: 0001-a2x-Write-manifests-in-UTF-8-by-default.patch
+Patch2: asciidoc-8.6.8-explicit-interpreter.patch
 
 BuildRequires: python2-devel
 BuildRequires: dblatex
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ Requires: lilypond
 %setup -q
 
 %patch1 -p1 -b .bz968308
+%patch2 -p1 -b .explicit-interpreter
 
 # Fix line endings on COPYRIGHT file
 sed -i "s/\r//g" COPYRIGHT
@@ -155,6 +157,9 @@ python testasciidoc.py run
 
 
 %changelog
+* Mon Feb 10 2014 Nils Philippsen <nils@redhat.com> - 8.6.8-4
+- explicitly use system copy of Python 2.x
+
 * Tue Dec 03 2013 Stanislav Ochotnicky <sochotnicky@redhat.com> - 8.6.8-3
 - Fix duplicate documentation files (#1001234)
 - Fix encoding of manifests being written (#968308)