Index: mythtv/configure
===================================================================
--- mythtv/configure	(revision 24513)
+++ mythtv/configure	(working copy)
@@ -662,6 +662,24 @@
     "$@" >> $logfile 2>&1
 }
 
+check_python(){
+    log check_python "$@"
+    cat > $TMPPY
+    log_file $TMPPY
+    check_cmd $python $TMPPY
+}
+
+check_py_lib(){
+    check_python <<EOF
+import sys
+try:
+    import ${1}
+except:
+    sys.exit(1)
+sys.exit(0)
+EOF
+}
+
 check_cc(){
     log check_cc "$@"
     cat > $TMPC
@@ -1940,6 +1958,7 @@
 TMPS="${TMPDIR1}/mythtv-conf-${RANDOM}-$$-${RANDOM}.S"
 TMPSH="${TMPDIR1}/mythtv-conf-${RANDOM}-$$-${RANDOM}.sh"
 TMPCXX="${TMPDIR1}/mythtv-conf-${RANDOM}-$$-${RANDOM}.c"
+TMPPY="${TMPDIR1}/mythtv-conf-${RANDOM}-$$-${RANDOM}.py"
 
 for opt do
     optval="${opt#*=}"
@@ -3969,6 +3988,14 @@
     add_ldflags -p
 fi
 
+# Check for python dependencies
+if enabled bindings_python; then
+    check_py_lib MySQLdb
+    test $? != 0 && disable bindings_python
+    check_py_lib lxml
+    test $? != 0 && disable bindings_python
+fi
+
 # Find out if the .align argument is a power of two or not.
 check_asm asmalign_pot '".align 3"'