diff --git a/scripts/brp-python-bytecompile b/scripts/brp-python-bytecompile

index 894fa3459..47776215a 100644

--- a/scripts/brp-python-bytecompile

+++ b/scripts/brp-python-bytecompile

@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ if [ ! -x "$default_python" ]; then

 	exit 0

 fi

+# Figure out if there are files to be bytecompiled with the default_python at all

+# this prevents unnecessary default_python invocation

+find "$RPM_BUILD_ROOT" -type f -name "*.py" | grep -Ev "/bin/|/sbin/|/usr/lib(64)?/python[0-9]\.[0-9]|/usr/share/doc" || exit 0

+

 # Generate normal (.pyc) byte-compiled files.

 python_bytecompile "" $default_python "/bin/|/sbin/|/usr/lib(64)?/python[0-9]\.[0-9]|/usr/share/doc" "$RPM_BUILD_ROOT" "$depth" "/"

 if [ $? -ne 0 -a 0$errors_terminate -ne 0 ]; then