diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/opencv/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/opencv/package.py
index 9c17cff591..3d887f0775 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/opencv/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/opencv/package.py
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ class Opencv(Package):
     depends_on('eigen', when='+eigen')
     depends_on('cuda', when='+cuda')
 
+    extends('python')
+
     # FIXME : GUI extensions missing
 
     def install(self, spec, prefix):
@@ -70,6 +72,19 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
                               '-DWITH_IPP:BOOL=%s' % ('ON' if '+ipp' in spec else 'OFF'),
                               '-DWITH_CUDA:BOOL=%s' % ('ON' if '+cuda' in spec else 'OFF')])
 
+        python_prefix = spec['python'].prefix
+        python_lib = python_prefix.lib
+        if spec.satisfies('^python@3:'):
+            python = join_path(python_prefix.bin, 'python3')
+            cmake_options.extend(['-DBUILD_opencv_python3=ON',
+                                  '-DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE={0}'.format(python),
+                                  '-DPYTHON_LIBRARIES={0}'.format(python_lib)])
+        elif spec.satisfies('^python@2:3'):
+            python = join_path(python_prefix.bin, 'python2')
+            cmake_options.extend(['-DBUILD_opencv_python2=ON',
+                                  '-DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE={0}'.format(python),
+                                  '-DPYTHON_LIBRARIES={0}'.format(python_lib)])
+
         with working_dir('spack_build', create=True):
             cmake('..', *cmake_options)
             make('VERBOSE=1')