diff --git a/external/python_build.cmake b/external/python_build.cmake
index 0d1b968..16ed27f 100644
--- a/external/python_build.cmake
+++ b/external/python_build.cmake
@@ -3,4 +3,13 @@ SET(ENV{NETCDF4_DIR} ${NETCDF4_DIR})
 SET(ENV{CPPFLAGS} ${PYTHON_CPPFLAGS})
 SET(ENV{LDFLAGS} ${PYTHON_LDFLAGS})
 SET(ENV{PYTHONPATH} ${TARGET_PATH}/lib/python2.7/site-packages:$ENV{PYTHONPATH})
-execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} setup.py build)
+execute_process(
+  COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} setup.py build
+  RESULT_VALUE RET_VALUE
+)
+
+IF(NOT RET_VALUE EQUAL 0)
+  MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "Error in python build")
+
+ENDIF(NOT RET_VALUE EQUAL 0)
+
diff --git a/external/python_install.cmake b/external/python_install.cmake
index fa40226..4799a98 100644
--- a/external/python_install.cmake
+++ b/external/python_install.cmake
@@ -2,4 +2,11 @@ SET(ENV{HDF5_DIR} ${HDF5_DIR})
 SET(ENV{NETCDF4_DIR} ${NETCDF4_DIR})
 SET(ENV{CPPFLAGS} ${PYTHON_CPPFLAGS})
 SET(ENV{LDFLAGS} ${PYTHON_LDFLAGS})
-execute_process(COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} setup.py install --prefix=${TARGET_PATH})
+execute_process(
+  COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} setup.py install --prefix=${TARGET_PATH}
+  RESULT_VARIABLE RET_VALUE
+)
+
+IF(NOT ${RET_VALUE} EQUAL 0)
+  MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "Error in python install")
+ENDIF(NOT ${RET_VALUE} EQUAL 0)
diff --git a/run_python.sh.in b/run_python.sh.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5545bf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run_python.sh.in
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+PYTHONPATH=@PYTHONPATH@
+export PYTHONPATH
+
+@PYTHON_EXECUTABLE@ $@