diff --git a/swig/Python/Makefile b/swig/Python/Makefile
index 72abaa98..c4aa5cbc 100644
--- a/swig/Python/Makefile
+++ b/swig/Python/Makefile
@@ -39,7 +39,11 @@ else
   CXXFLAGS += -std=c++0x
   # Make sure you have Atlas installed. You can statically link Atlas if you
   # would like to be able to move the library to a machine without Atlas.
-  LDLIBS := -lm -ldl -lf77blas -lcblas -llapack_atlas -latlas
+  ifneq ("$(ldconfig -p | grep lapack_atlas)","")
+    LDLIBS := -lm -ldl -lf77blas -lcblas -llapack_atlas -latlas
+  else
+    LDLIBS := -lm -ldl -lf77blas -lcblas -llapack -latlas
+  endif
   SNOWBOYDETECTLIBFILE = $(TOPDIR)/lib/ubuntu64/libsnowboy-detect.a
   ifneq (,$(findstring arm,$(shell uname -m)))
     SNOWBOYDETECTLIBFILE = $(TOPDIR)/lib/rpi/libsnowboy-detect.a
diff --git a/swig/Python3/Makefile b/swig/Python3/Makefile
index e25e1b4a..5bf8b15d 100644
--- a/swig/Python3/Makefile
+++ b/swig/Python3/Makefile
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ else
   CXXFLAGS += -std=c++0x
   # Make sure you have Atlas installed. You can statically link Atlas if you
   # would like to be able to move the library to a machine without Atlas.
-  LDLIBS := -lm -ldl -lf77blas -lcblas -llapack_atlas -latlas
+  ifneq ("$(ldconfig -p | grep lapack_atlas)","")
+    LDLIBS := -lm -ldl -lf77blas -lcblas -llapack_atlas -latlas
+  else
+    LDLIBS := -lm -ldl -lf77blas -lcblas -llapack -latlas
+  endif
   SNOWBOYDETECTLIBFILE = $(TOPDIR)/lib/ubuntu64/libsnowboy-detect.a
   ifneq (,$(findstring arm,$(shell uname -m)))
     SNOWBOYDETECTLIBFILE = $(TOPDIR)/lib/rpi/libsnowboy-detect.a