diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index caad30f..7b7a679 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Attributes
 See `attributes/default.rb` for default values.
 
 * `node["python"]["install_method"]` - method to install python with, default `package`.
+* `node["python"]["install_type"]` - when above attribute is set to `source`, choose make `install` or make `altinstall` for installing compiled code, default `install`.
 
 The file also contains the following attributes:
 
@@ -50,8 +51,6 @@ Install packages using the new hotness in Python package management...[`pip`](ht
 - :install: Install a pip package - if version is provided, install that specific version (default)
 - :upgrade: Upgrade a pip package - if version is provided, upgrade to that specific version
 - :remove: Remove a pip package
-- :user: User to run pip as, for using with virtualenv
-- :group: Group to run pip as, for using with virtualenv
 - :purge: Purge a pip package (this usually entails removing configuration files as well as the package itself).  With pip packages this behaves the same as `:remove`
 
 # Attribute Parameters
@@ -59,6 +58,8 @@ Install packages using the new hotness in Python package management...[`pip`](ht
 - package_name: name attribute. The name of the pip package to install
 - version: the version of the package to install/upgrade.  If no version is given latest is assumed.
 - virtualenv: virtualenv environment to install pip package into
+- user: User to run pip as, for using with virtualenv
+- group: Group to run pip as, for using with virtualenv
 - options: Add additional options to the underlying pip package command
 - timeout: timeout in seconds for the command to execute. Useful for pip packages that may take a long time to install. Default 900 seconds.
 
diff --git a/attributes/default.rb b/attributes/default.rb
index aeeaa77..55ce064 100644
--- a/attributes/default.rb
+++ b/attributes/default.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #
 
 default['python']['install_method'] = 'package'
+default['python']['version'] = '2.7.5'
 
 if python['install_method'] == 'package'
   case platform
@@ -27,14 +28,18 @@
   else
     default['python']['prefix_dir']         = '/usr'
   end
+  default['python']['binary'] = "#{python['prefix_dir']}/bin/python"
 else
   default['python']['prefix_dir']         = '/usr/local'
+  default['python']['install_type']       = 'install'
+  if python['install_type'] == 'altinstall'
+    default['python']['binary'] = "#{python['prefix_dir']}/bin/python#{python['version'].split(/(^\d+\.\d+)/)[1]}"
+  else
+    default['python']['binary'] = "#{python['prefix_dir']}/bin/python"
+  end
 end
 
-default['python']['binary'] = "#{python['prefix_dir']}/bin/python"
-
 default['python']['url'] = 'http://www.python.org/ftp/python'
-default['python']['version'] = '2.7.5'
 default['python']['checksum'] = '3b477554864e616a041ee4d7cef9849751770bc7c39adaf78a94ea145c488059'
 default['python']['configure_options'] = %W{--prefix=#{python['prefix_dir']}}
 
diff --git a/recipes/source.rb b/recipes/source.rb
index eb8288d..609a9d5 100644
--- a/recipes/source.rb
+++ b/recipes/source.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 
 version = node['python']['version']
 install_path = "#{node['python']['prefix_dir']}/bin/python#{version.split(/(^\d+\.\d+)/)[1]}"
+install_type = node['python']['install_type']
 
 remote_file "#{Chef::Config[:file_cache_path]}/Python-#{version}.tar.bz2" do
   source "#{node['python']['url']}/#{version}/Python-#{version}.tar.bz2"
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@
   code <<-EOF
   tar -jxvf Python-#{version}.tar.bz2
   (cd Python-#{version} && ./configure #{configure_options})
-  (cd Python-#{version} && make && make install)
+  (cd Python-#{version} && make && make #{install_type})
   EOF
   environment({
       "LDFLAGS" => "-L#{node['python']['prefix_dir']} -L/usr/lib",