diff --git a/aksetup_helper.py b/aksetup_helper.py
index d02c9e36667ab5934bc94393b548521c13f0611c..a52976dc03d310ab43e2cde42dc2a0b371ddae9c 100644
--- a/aksetup_helper.py
+++ b/aksetup_helper.py
@@ -181,6 +181,39 @@ def default_or(a, b):
 
 
 
+def expand_str(s, options):
+    import re
+
+    def my_repl(match):
+        sym = match.group(1)
+        try:
+            repl = options[sym]
+        except KeyError:
+            from os import environ
+            repl = environ[sym]
+
+        return expand_str(repl, options)
+
+    return re.subn(r"\$\{([a-zA-Z0-9_]+)\}", my_repl, s)[0]
+
+def expand_value(v, options):
+    if isinstance(v, (str, unicode)):
+        return expand_str(v, options)
+    elif isinstance(v, list):
+        return [expand_value(i, options) for i in v]
+    else:
+        return v
+
+
+def expand_options(options):
+    for k in options.keys():
+        options[k] = expand_value(options[k], options)
+    return options
+
+
+
+
+
 
 class ConfigSchema:
     def __init__(self, options, conf_file="siteconf.py", conf_dir="."):
@@ -299,6 +332,8 @@ class ConfigSchema:
                     raise KeyError, "invalid config key in %s: %s" % (
                             cfile, key)
 
+        expand_options(result)
+
         return result
 
     def add_to_configparser(self, parser, def_config=None):
@@ -313,6 +348,7 @@ class ConfigSchema:
         result = {}
         for opt in self.options:
             result[opt.name] = opt.take_from_configparser(options)
+        expand_options(result)
         return result
 
     def write_config(self, config):
@@ -430,6 +466,21 @@ class Libraries(StringListOption):
                 help=help or ("Library names for %s (without lib or .so)" 
                 % (human_name or humanize(lib_name))))
 
+class BoostLibraries(Libraries):
+    def __init__(self, lib_base_name):
+        Libraries.__init__(self, "BOOST_%s" % lib_base_name.upper(), 
+                ["boost_%s-${BOOST_COMPILER}-mt" % lib_base_name],
+                help="Library names for Boost C++ %s library (without lib or .so)" 
+                    % humanize(lib_base_name))
+
+def make_boost_base_options():
+    return [
+        IncludeDir("BOOST", []),
+        LibraryDir("BOOST", []),
+        Option("BOOST_COMPILER", default="gcc43", 
+            help="The compiler with which Boost C++ was compiled, e.g. gcc43"),
+        ]
+
 
 
 
@@ -520,7 +571,7 @@ def substitute(substitutions, fname):
                 l = l[:match.start()] + subst  + l[match.end():]
                 made_change = True
         new_lines.append(l)
-    new_lines.insert(1, "# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE -- it is generated by configure\n")
+    new_lines.insert(1, "# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE -- it was generated by configure.py\n")
     import sys
     new_lines.insert(2, "# %s\n" % (" ".join(sys.argv)))
     open(fname, "w").write("".join(new_lines))
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index a707197cfc95cdd45e474e0f0a6656eb45221e4d..6fcddce88f7b997c257f6c1eb1fb61f5651fe56e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -2,13 +2,11 @@
 
 def get_config_schema():
     from aksetup_helper import ConfigSchema, Option, \
-            IncludeDir, LibraryDir, Libraries, \
-            Switch, StringListOption
+            IncludeDir, LibraryDir, Libraries, BoostLibraries, \
+            Switch, StringListOption, make_boost_base_options
 
-    return ConfigSchema([
-        IncludeDir("BOOST", []),
-        LibraryDir("BOOST", []),
-        Libraries("BOOST_PYTHON", ["boost_python-gcc42-mt"]),
+    return ConfigSchema(make_boost_base_options() + [
+        BoostLibraries("python"),
 
         StringListOption("CXXFLAGS", [], 
             help="Any extra C++ compiler options to include"),