diff --git a/aclocal.m4 b/aclocal.m4
index 43a7f20eb..c7d1f87ca 100644
--- a/aclocal.m4
+++ b/aclocal.m4
@@ -47,8 +47,11 @@ AC_DEFUN([AM_PATH_PYTHON],
   dnl supported. (2.0 was released on October 16, 2000).
   dnl FIXME: Remove the need to hard-code Python versions here.
   m4_define_default([_AM_PYTHON_INTERPRETER_LIST],
-[python python2 python3 python3.5 python3.4 python3.3 python3.2 python3.1 python3.0 python2.7 dnl
- python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1 python2.0])
+[python python2 python3 dnl
+ python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3.5 python3.4 python3.3 dnl
+ python3.2 python3.1 python3.0 dnl
+ python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1 dnl
+ python2.0])
 
   AC_ARG_VAR([PYTHON], [the Python interpreter])
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index abda236f2..5d6e0f579 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -19101,7 +19101,7 @@ if ${am_cv_pathless_PYTHON+:} false; then :
   $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
 else
 
-	for am_cv_pathless_PYTHON in python python2 python3 python3.5 python3.4 python3.3 python3.2 python3.1 python3.0 python2.7  python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1 python2.0 none; do
+	for am_cv_pathless_PYTHON in python python2 python3  python3.9 python3.8 python3.7 python3.6 python3.5 python3.4 python3.3  python3.2 python3.1 python3.0  python2.7 python2.6 python2.5 python2.4 python2.3 python2.2 python2.1  python2.0 none; do
 	  test "$am_cv_pathless_PYTHON" = none && break
 	  prog="import sys
 # split strings by '.' and convert to numeric.  Append some zeros
@@ -19388,7 +19388,7 @@ fi
 
       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking python include flags" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking python include flags... " >&6; }
-      PYTHON_INCLUDE=`$PYTHON_CONFIG --includes`
+      PYTHON_INCLUDE=`$PYTHON_CONFIG --cflags`
       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $PYTHON_INCLUDE" >&5
 $as_echo "$PYTHON_INCLUDE" >&6; }
 
@@ -19398,7 +19398,7 @@ fi
 
       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking python linker flags" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking python linker flags... " >&6; }
-      PYTHON_LIBS=`$PYTHON_CONFIG --libs`
+      PYTHON_LIBS=`$PYTHON_CONFIG --ldflags`
       { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $PYTHON_LIBS" >&5
 $as_echo "$PYTHON_LIBS" >&6; }
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 853a114fe..7f85b5cc5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2546,13 +2546,13 @@ if test ${USE_PYTHON-'no'} = "yes"; then
 
     AS_IF([test -z "$PYTHON_INCLUDE"], [
       AC_MSG_CHECKING([python include flags])
-      PYTHON_INCLUDE=`$PYTHON_CONFIG --includes`
+      PYTHON_INCLUDE=`$PYTHON_CONFIG --cflags`
       AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_INCLUDE])
     ])
 
     AS_IF([test -z "$PYTHON_LIBS"], [
       AC_MSG_CHECKING([python linker flags])
-      PYTHON_LIBS=`$PYTHON_CONFIG --libs`
+      PYTHON_LIBS=`$PYTHON_CONFIG --ldflags`
       AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_LIBS])
     ])
 
diff --git a/plugins/python/regress/check_python_examples.c b/plugins/python/regress/check_python_examples.c
index 77f8e7467..d3f17c3b1 100644
--- a/plugins/python/regress/check_python_examples.c
+++ b/plugins/python/regress/check_python_examples.c
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ static struct io_plugin *python_io = NULL;
 static struct policy_plugin *python_policy = NULL;
 static struct sudoers_group_plugin *group_plugin = NULL;
 
+static struct passwd example_pwd;
+
 void
 create_io_plugin_options(const char *log_path)
 {
@@ -80,12 +82,22 @@ init(void)
     // always start each test from clean state
     memset(&data, 0, sizeof(data));
 
+    memset(&example_pwd, 0, sizeof(example_pwd));
+    example_pwd.pw_name = "pw_name";
+    example_pwd.pw_passwd = "pw_passwd";
+    example_pwd.pw_gecos = "pw_gecos";
+    example_pwd.pw_shell ="pw_shell";
+    example_pwd.pw_dir = "pw_dir";
+    example_pwd.pw_uid = (uid_t)1001;
+    example_pwd.pw_gid = (gid_t)101;
+
     VERIFY_TRUE(asprintf(&data.tmp_dir, TEMP_PATH_TEMPLATE) >= 0);
     VERIFY_NOT_NULL(mkdtemp(data.tmp_dir));
 
     // by default we test in developer mode, so the python plugin can be loaded
     sudo_conf_clear_paths();
     VERIFY_INT(sudo_conf_read(sudo_conf_developer_mode, SUDO_CONF_ALL), true);
+    VERIFY_TRUE(sudo_conf_developer_mode());
 
     // some default values for the plugin open:
     data.settings = create_str_array(1, NULL);
diff --git a/plugins/python/regress/testhelpers.c b/plugins/python/regress/testhelpers.c
index 66925e3c0..15f48cf5a 100644
--- a/plugins/python/regress/testhelpers.c
+++ b/plugins/python/regress/testhelpers.c
@@ -3,16 +3,6 @@
 const char *sudo_conf_developer_mode = TESTDATA_DIR "sudo.conf.developer_mode";
 const char *sudo_conf_normal_mode = TESTDATA_DIR "sudo.conf.normal_mode";
 
-struct passwd example_pwd = {
-    "pw_name",
-    "pw_passwd",
-    (uid_t)1001,
-    (gid_t)101,
-    "pw_gecos",
-    "pw_dir",
-    "pw_shell"
-};
-
 struct TestData data;
 
 static void
diff --git a/plugins/python/regress/testhelpers.h b/plugins/python/regress/testhelpers.h
index 028f29422..4f680a610 100644
--- a/plugins/python/regress/testhelpers.h
+++ b/plugins/python/regress/testhelpers.h
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@
 extern const char *sudo_conf_developer_mode;
 extern const char *sudo_conf_normal_mode;
 
-extern struct passwd example_pwd;
-
 #define TEMP_PATH_TEMPLATE "/tmp/sudo_check_python_exampleXXXXXX"
 
 extern struct TestData {
diff --git a/plugins/python/sudo_python_debug.h b/plugins/python/sudo_python_debug.h
index 02a715a7e..7a4022660 100644
--- a/plugins/python/sudo_python_debug.h
+++ b/plugins/python/sudo_python_debug.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #ifndef SUDO_PYTHON_DEBUG_H
 #define SUDO_PYTHON_DEBUG_H
 
+#include <sys/types.h>
 #include "sudo_debug.h"
 
 /*