diff --git a/setup_env b/setup_env
index 3b45878..4017052 100755
--- a/setup_env
+++ b/setup_env
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ while getopts c:p:t:qs:h FLAG; do
         p)
             if [ ${OPTARG} == '2' ]; then
                 PY_VERSION="2.7.8"
+            elif [ ${OPTARG} == '3' ]; then
+                PY_VERSION=${PY_VERSION}
             else
                 PY_VERSION=${OPTARG}
             fi
@@ -168,8 +170,12 @@ fi
 
 # Build local python interpreter if needed
 sub_pystr="python$(echo $PY_VERSION | cut -c 1-3)"
-if [ ! -n "$(command -v $sub_pystr)" ]; then
-    echo "$sub_pystr not found. Building python ${PY_VERSION}..."
+python_version=$($sub_pystr -V | cut -d " " -f 2)
+if [ $python_version == $PY_VERSION ]; then
+    echo "Python $PY_VERSION found!"
+    PYPATH="$sub_pystr"
+else
+    echo "Python $PY_VERSION not found. Building python ${PY_VERSION}..."
     mkdir ${WORKDIR}/.localpython
     mkdir ${WORKDIR}/.python_src
     cd ${WORKDIR}/.python_src
@@ -182,9 +188,6 @@ if [ ! -n "$(command -v $sub_pystr)" ]; then
     cd ${WORKDIR}
     rm -rf ${WORKDIR}/.python_src
     PYPATH="${WORKDIR}/.localpython/bin/$sub_pystr"
-else
-    echo "$sub_pystr found!"
-    PYPATH="$sub_pystr"
 fi
 
 # Setup virtual environments for refstack-client and tempest