diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index ff0324f7d0b45f6e114447a19d325875045e8862..c6ec2e02779469590e0a8a59c462c6e3bd6d3ad2 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -2,68 +2,95 @@
 
 import sys
 
-try:
-    execfile("siteconf.py")
-except IOError:
-    print "*** Please run configure first."
-    sys.exit(1)
+def main():
+    try:
+        conf = {}
+        execfile("siteconf.py", conf)
+    except IOError:
+        print "*** Please run configure first."
+        sys.exit(1)
 
-from distutils.core import setup,Extension
+    from distutils.core import setup,Extension
 
-def non_matching_config():
-    print "*** The version of your configuration template does not match"
-    print "*** the version of the setup script. Please re-run configure."
-    sys.exit(1)
+    def non_matching_config():
+        print "*** The version of your configuration template does not match"
+        print "*** the version of the setup script. Please re-run configure."
+        sys.exit(1)
 
-try:
-    MESHPY_CONF_TEMPLATE_VERSION
-except NameError:
-    non_matching_config()
+    if "MESHPY_CONF_TEMPLATE_VERSION" not in conf:
+        non_matching_config()
 
-if MESHPY_CONF_TEMPLATE_VERSION != 1:
-    non_matching_config()
+    if conf["MESHPY_CONF_TEMPLATE_VERSION"] != 1:
+        non_matching_config()
 
-triangle_macros = [
-  ( "EXTERNAL_TEST", 1 ),
-  ( "ANSI_DECLARATORS", 1 ),
-  ( "TRILIBRARY", 1 ) ,
-  ]
+    triangle_macros = [
+      ( "EXTERNAL_TEST", 1 ),
+      ( "ANSI_DECLARATORS", 1 ),
+      ( "TRILIBRARY", 1 ) ,
+      ]
 
-tetgen_macros = [
-  ("TETLIBRARY", 1),
-  ( "SELF_CHECK", 1 ) ,
-  ]
+    tetgen_macros = [
+      ("TETLIBRARY", 1),
+      ("SELF_CHECK", 1) ,
+      ]
 
-INCLUDE_DIRS = BOOST_INCLUDE_DIRS
-LIBRARY_DIRS = BOOST_LIBRARY_DIRS
-LIBRARIES = BPL_LIBRARIES
+    INCLUDE_DIRS = conf["BOOST_INCLUDE_DIRS"]
+    LIBRARY_DIRS = conf["BOOST_LIBRARY_DIRS"]
+    LIBRARIES = conf["BPL_LIBRARIES"]
 
-execfile("src/python/__init__.py")
-setup(name="MeshPy",
-      version=version,
-      description="A wrapper around the TetGen and Triangle",
-      author="Andreas Kloeckner",
-      author_email="inform@tiker.net",
-      license = "BSD for the wrapper/non-commercial MIT for the meshers",
-      url="http://news.tiker.net/software/meshpy",
-      packages = [ "meshpy" ],
-      package_dir={"meshpy": "src/python"},
-      ext_modules = [
-        Extension(
-          "meshpy._triangle", 
-          ["src/cpp/wrap_triangle.cpp","src/cpp/triangle.c"],
-          include_dirs=INCLUDE_DIRS,
-          library_dirs=LIBRARY_DIRS,
-          libraries=LIBRARIES,
-          define_macros=triangle_macros
-          ),
-        Extension(
-          "meshpy._tetgen", 
-          ["src/cpp/tetgen.cpp", "src/cpp/predicates.cpp", "src/cpp/wrap_tetgen.cpp"],
-          include_dirs=INCLUDE_DIRS,
-          library_dirs=LIBRARY_DIRS,
-          libraries=LIBRARIES,
-          define_macros=tetgen_macros
-          ),
-        ]
-     )
+    execfile("src/python/__init__.py", conf)
+    setup(name="MeshPy",
+          version=conf["version"],
+          description="A wrapper around the TetGen and Triangle",
+          author="Andreas Kloeckner",
+          author_email="inform@tiker.net",
+          license = "BSD for the wrapper/non-commercial MIT for the meshers",
+          url="http://news.tiker.net/software/meshpy",
+          packages = [ "meshpy" ],
+          package_dir={"meshpy": "src/python"},
+          ext_modules = [
+            Extension(
+              "meshpy._triangle", 
+              ["src/cpp/wrap_triangle.cpp","src/cpp/triangle.c"],
+              include_dirs=INCLUDE_DIRS,
+              library_dirs=LIBRARY_DIRS,
+              libraries=LIBRARIES,
+              define_macros=triangle_macros
+              ),
+            Extension(
+              "meshpy._tetgen", 
+              ["src/cpp/tetgen.cpp", "src/cpp/predicates.cpp", "src/cpp/wrap_tetgen.cpp"],
+              include_dirs=INCLUDE_DIRS,
+              library_dirs=LIBRARY_DIRS,
+              libraries=LIBRARIES,
+              define_macros=tetgen_macros
+              ),
+            ]
+         )
+
+
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    # hack distutils.sysconfig to eliminate debug flags
+    # stolen from mpi4py
+    import sys
+    if not sys.platform.lower().startswith("win"):
+        from distutils import sysconfig
+
+        cvars = sysconfig.get_config_vars()
+        cflags = cvars.get('OPT')
+        if cflags:
+            cflags = cflags.split()
+            for bad_prefix in ('-g', '-O', '-Wstrict-prototypes'):
+                for i, flag in enumerate(cflags):
+                    if flag.startswith(bad_prefix):
+                        cflags.pop(i)
+                        break
+                if flag in cflags:
+                    cflags.remove(flag)
+            cflags.append("-O3")
+            cvars['OPT'] = str.join(' ', cflags)
+            cvars["CFLAGS"] = cvars["BASECFLAGS"] + " " + cvars["OPT"]
+    # and now call main
+    main()