diff --git a/attributes/default.rb b/attributes/default.rb
index 85c96eb..6a457de 100644
--- a/attributes/default.rb
+++ b/attributes/default.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 default['python']['checksum'] = '3b477554864e616a041ee4d7cef9849751770bc7c39adaf78a94ea145c488059'
 default['python']['configure_options'] = %W{--prefix=#{python['prefix_dir']}}
 default['python']['make_options'] = %W{install}
+default['python']['recompile'] = false
 
 default['python']['pip_location'] = "#{node['python']['prefix_dir']}/bin/pip"
 default['python']['virtualenv_location'] = "#{node['python']['prefix_dir']}/bin/virtualenv"
diff --git a/recipes/source.rb b/recipes/source.rb
index ac8ed86..fbcaac2 100644
--- a/recipes/source.rb
+++ b/recipes/source.rb
@@ -34,28 +34,30 @@
 
 version = node['python']['version']
 install_path = "#{node['python']['prefix_dir']}/bin/python#{version.split(/(^\d+\.\d+)/)[1]}"
+recompile = node['python']['recompile']
 
 remote_file "#{Chef::Config[:file_cache_path]}/Python-#{version}.tgz" do
   source "#{node['python']['url']}/#{version}/Python-#{version}.tgz"
   checksum node['python']['checksum']
   mode "0644"
-  not_if { ::File.exists?(install_path) }
+  not_if { !recompile && ::File.exists?(install_path) && `#{install_path} --version 2>&1`.strip =~ /#{version}/ }
 end
 
 bash "build-and-install-python" do
   cwd Chef::Config[:file_cache_path]
   code <<-EOF
+  rm -rf Python-#{version}
   tar -zxvf Python-#{version}.tgz
   (cd Python-#{version} && ./configure #{configure_options})
   (cd Python-#{version} && make && make #{make_options})
   EOF
   environment({
-      "LDFLAGS" => "-L#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -L/usr/lib",
-      "CPPFLAGS" => "-I#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -I/usr/lib",
-      "CXXFLAGS" => "-I#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -I/usr/lib",
-      "CFLAGS" => "-I#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -I/usr/lib"
+      "LDFLAGS" => "-L#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -L/usr/local/ssl/lib -L/usr/lib",
+      "CPPFLAGS" => "-I#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -I/usr/local/ssl/lib -I/usr/lib",
+      "CXXFLAGS" => "-I#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -I/usr/local/ssl/lib -I/usr/lib",
+      "CFLAGS" => "-I#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -I/usr/local/ssl/lib -I/usr/lib"
   }) if platform?("ubuntu") && node['platform_version'].to_f >= 12.04
-  not_if { ::File.exists?(install_path) }
+  not_if { !recompile && ::File.exists?(install_path) && `#{install_path} --version 2>&1`.strip =~ /#{version}/ }
 end
 
 # Link install as the default python, to support Python 3.x