diff -aurN automake-1.9.3.orig/lib/am/python.am automake-1.9.3/lib/am/python.am
--- automake-1.9.3.orig/lib/am/python.am	2004-01-28 21:50:43.000000000 +0100
+++ automake-1.9.3/lib/am/python.am	2004-11-08 13:57:57.149780216 +0100
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 ## Byte-compile must be done at install time, since file times are
 ## encoded in the actual files.
 	test -z "$$dlist" || \
-	PYTHON=$(PYTHON) $(py_compile) --basedir "$(DESTDIR)$(%NDIR%dir)" $$dlist
+	PYTHON=$(PYTHON) $(py_compile) --basedir "$(DESTDIR)$(%NDIR%dir)" --destdir "$(DESTDIR)" $$dlist
 endif %?INSTALL%
 
 
diff -aurN automake-1.9.3.orig/lib/py-compile automake-1.9.3/lib/py-compile
--- automake-1.9.3.orig/lib/py-compile	2004-01-12 23:56:48.000000000 +0100
+++ automake-1.9.3/lib/py-compile	2004-11-08 14:00:18.155344112 +0100
@@ -35,16 +35,27 @@
 
 basedir=
 
-case "$1" in
-  --basedir)
-    basedir=$2
-    if test -z "$basedir"; then
-      echo "$0: Missing argument to --basedir." 1>&2
-      exit 1
-    fi
-    shift 2
-    ;;
-  -h|--h*)
+loop=true
+while test "x$loop" = "xtrue"
+do
+  case "$1" in
+    --basedir)
+      basedir=$2
+      if test -z "$basedir"; then
+        echo "$0: Missing argument to --basedir." 1>&2
+        exit 1
+      fi
+      shift 2
+      ;;
+    --destdir)
+      destdir=$2
+      if test -z "$destdir"; then
+        echo "$0: Missing argument to --destdir." 1>&2
+        exit 1
+      fi
+      shift 2
+      ;;
+    -h|--h*)
     cat <<\EOF
 Usage: py-compile [--help] [--version] [--basedir DIR] FILES..."
 
@@ -53,13 +64,17 @@
 
 Report bugs to <bug-automake@gnu.org>.
 EOF
-    exit 0
-    ;;
-  -v|--v*)
-    echo "py-compile $scriptversion"
-    exit 0
-    ;;
-esac
+      exit 0
+      ;;
+    -v|--v*)
+      echo "py-compile $scriptversion"
+      exit 0
+      ;;
+    *)
+      loop=false
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
 
 if [ $# = 0 ]; then
     echo "$0: No files given.  Try \`$0 --help' for more information." 1>&2
@@ -69,9 +84,22 @@
 # if basedir was given, then it should be prepended to filenames before
 # byte compilation.
 if [ -z "$basedir" ]; then
-    trans="path = file"
+    trans="    path = file"
 else
-    trans="path = os.path.join('$basedir', file)"
+    trans="    path = os.path.join('$basedir', file)"
+fi
+
+# if destdir was given, then it should be stripped from path when storing
+# the intended file name
+if [ -z "$destdir" ]; then
+    transdfile="    dfile = path"
+else
+    transdfile="
+    if path.startswith('$destdir'):
+        dfile = path.split('$destdir')[1]
+    else:
+        dfile = path
+    "
 fi
 
 $PYTHON -c "
@@ -80,12 +108,13 @@
 files = '''$*'''
 print 'Byte-compiling python modules...'
 for file in string.split(files):
-    $trans
+$trans
+$transdfile
     if not os.path.exists(path) or not (len(path) >= 3 and path[-3:] == '.py'):
 	continue
     print file,
     sys.stdout.flush()
-    py_compile.compile(path)
+    py_compile.compile(path, dfile=dfile)
 print" || exit $?
 
 # this will fail for python < 1.5, but that doesn't matter ...
@@ -95,12 +124,13 @@
 files = '''$*'''
 print 'Byte-compiling python modules (optimized versions) ...'
 for file in string.split(files):
-    $trans
+$trans
+$transdfile
     if not os.path.exists(path) or not (len(path) >= 3 and path[-3:] == '.py'):
 	continue
     print file,
     sys.stdout.flush()
-    py_compile.compile(path)
+    py_compile.compile(path, dfile=dfile)
 print" 2>/dev/null || :
 
 # Local Variables: