diff --git a/etc/tools/ParaViewFunctions b/etc/tools/ParaViewFunctions
index 9c23034..3f5ceea 100644
--- a/etc/tools/ParaViewFunctions
+++ b/etc/tools/ParaViewFunctions
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ addPythonSupport()
             if [ ! -e "$PYTHON_LIBRARY" ]
             then
                 echo "*** Error: libpython not found at location specified " \
-                     "by -pythnon-lib input: PYTHON_LIBRARY=$PYTHON_LIBRARY"
+                     "by -python-lib input: PYTHON_LIBRARY=$PYTHON_LIBRARY"
             fi
         else
             # Try to get $PYTHON_LIBRARY from dynamically linked binary
@@ -248,28 +248,31 @@ addPythonSupport()
         }
 
         pythonMajor=$(echo $PYTHON_LIBRARY | sed 's/.*libpython\(.*\)\.so.*/\1/')
-        pythonInclude=/usr/include/python$pythonMajor
 
-        # Note - we could also allow for a PYTHON_INCLUDE variable ...
-        [ -d "$pythonInclude" ] || {
-            echo "    No python headers found in $pythonInclude/"
+        if [ -z "$PYTHON_INCLUDE" ]
+        then
+            PYTHON_INCLUDE=/usr/include/python$pythonMajor
+        fi
+
+        [ -d "$PYTHON_INCLUDE" ] || {
+            echo "    No python headers found in $PYTHON_INCLUDE/"
             echo "    Please install python headers or deactivate "
             echo "    python support by not using the -python option"
             exit 1
         }
 
         addCMakeVariable  "PARAVIEW_ENABLE_PYTHON=ON"
-        addCMakeVariable  "PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH=$pythonInclude"
+        addCMakeVariable  "PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH=$PYTHON_INCLUDE"
         addCMakeVariable  "PYTHON_LIBRARY=$PYTHON_LIBRARY"
 
         echo "----"
         echo "Python information:"
         echo "    executable     : $pythonBin"
         echo "    version        : $pythonMajor"
-        echo "    include path   : $pythonInclude"
+        echo "    include path   : $PYTHON_INCLUDE"
         echo "    library        : $PYTHON_LIBRARY"
 
-        unset pythonBin pythonInclude pythonMajor
+        unset pythonBin pythonMajor
     else
         echo "*** Error: python not found"
         echo "***        Deactivate python support by not using the -python "
@@ -403,6 +406,21 @@ addQtSupport()
 
 
 #
+# Configure ParaView/VTK rendering backend
+#
+configRenderingBackend()
+{
+    # Choose the rendering engine
+    if [ -n "${RENDERING_BACKEND}" ]
+    then
+        addCMakeVariable  "VTK_RENDERING_BACKEND=$RENDERING_BACKEND"
+    else
+        usage "*** Error: No rendering backend is defined"
+    fi
+}
+
+
+#
 # Configure via cmake, but don't actually build anything
 #
 configParaView()
@@ -541,9 +559,6 @@ unset buildType
 # Start with these general settings
 addCMakeVariable  "BUILD_SHARED_LIBS:BOOL=ON  VTK_USE_RPATH:BOOL=OFF"
 
-# Choose the new rendering engine
-addCMakeVariable  "VTK_RENDERING_BACKEND=OpenGL2"
-
 # Include development files in "make install"
 addCMakeVariable  "PARAVIEW_INSTALL_DEVELOPMENT_FILES:BOOL=ON"
 
diff --git a/makeParaView b/makeParaView
index eb4cdd1..4679a69 100755
--- a/makeParaView
+++ b/makeParaView
@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ MPI_MAX_PROCS=32
 #       If it fails, specify the path using the PYTHON_LIBRARY variable
 withPYTHON=false
 PYTHON_LIBRARY=""
-# PYTHON_LIBRARY="/usr/lib64/libpython2.6.so.1.0"
+PYTHON_INCLUDE=""
+# Examples
+# PYTHON_LIBRARY="/usr/lib64/libpython2.7.so.1.0"
+# PYTHON_INCLUDE="/usr/include/python2.7"
 
 # MESA graphics support:
 withMESA=false
@@ -65,12 +68,16 @@ MESA_LIBRARY="/usr/lib64/libOSMesa.so"
 # extra QT gui support (useful for some third party apps)
 withQT=true
 
-# Set the path to the Qt-4.5 (or later) qmake if the system Qt is older
+# Set the path to the Qt-4.7 (or later) qmake if the system Qt is older
 QMAKE_PATH=""
 
 # Set the path to cmake
 CMAKE_PATH=""
 
+# Selection of the rendering backend, usually associated to the OpenGL version
+# RENDERING_BACKEND=OpenGL
+RENDERING_BACKEND=OpenGL2
+
 #
 # NO FURTHER EDITING BELOW THIS LINE
 #
@@ -84,6 +91,8 @@ usage() {
 usage: $Script [OPTION] [CMAKE-OPTION]
 options:
   -rebuild          for repeated builds (-make -install) *use with caution*
+  -rendering MODE   rendering backend engine (current value: ${RENDERING_BACKEND:-undefined})
+                        modes: OpenGL OpenGL2
   -mesa             with mesa (if not already enabled)
   -mpi              with mpi (if not already enabled)
   -python           with python (if not already enabled)
@@ -99,7 +108,9 @@ options:
   -mesa-include DIR
                     location of mesa headers (current value: ${MESA_INCLUDE:-none})
   -mesa-lib PATH    path to mesa library     (current value: ${MESA_LIBRARY:-none})
-  -python-lib PATH  path to python library   (current value: ${PYTHON_LIBRARY:-none})
+  -python-lib PATH  path to python library   (current value: ${PYTHON_LIBRARY:-automatic})
+  -python-include DIR
+                    path to python include directory (current value: ${PYTHON_INCLUDE:-automatic})
   -help
 
 The -no-FEATURE option can be disable these features (if not already disabled):
@@ -196,6 +207,11 @@ do
         unset runDEFAULT
         shift
         ;;
+    -rendering)
+        [ "$#" -ge 2 ] || usage "'$1' option requires an argument"
+        RENDERING_BACKEND="$2"
+        shift 2
+        ;;
     -mesa)
         withMESA=true
         shift
@@ -235,6 +251,11 @@ do
         PYTHON_LIBRARY="$2"
         shift 2
         ;;
+    -python-include)
+        [ "$#" -ge 2 ] || usage "'$1' option requires an argument"
+        PYTHON_INCLUDE="$2"
+        shift 2
+        ;;
     -cmake)
         [ "$#" -ge 2 ] || usage "'$1' option requires an argument"
         CMAKE_PATH=$2
@@ -302,6 +323,8 @@ addPythonSupport    # set Python-specific options
 addMesaSupport      # set MESA-specific options
 addQtSupport        # add extra Qt support
 
+configRenderingBackend # configure the rendering backend, e.g. OpenGL2
+
 setDirs             # where things are or should be put
 echoDateStamp       # report kitware source code date-stamp