diff --git a/meta/classes/distutils-common-base.bbclass b/meta/classes/distutils-common-base.bbclass
index 08511f59cc..dee06b4173 100644
--- a/meta/classes/distutils-common-base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/distutils-common-base.bbclass
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-inherit python-dir
-
 EXTRA_OEMAKE = ""
 
 export STAGING_INCDIR
diff --git a/meta/classes/distutils3-base.bbclass b/meta/classes/distutils3-base.bbclass
index 2a093d3a8c..82ab6a3d1c 100644
--- a/meta/classes/distutils3-base.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/distutils3-base.bbclass
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 DEPENDS  += "${@["${PYTHON_PN}-native ${PYTHON_PN}", ""][(d.getVar('PACKAGES', True) == '')]}"
 RDEPENDS_${PN} += "${@['', '${PYTHON_PN}-core']['${CLASSOVERRIDE}' == 'class-target']}"
 
-PYTHON_BASEVERSION = "3.5"
-PYTHON_ABI = "m"
-
 inherit distutils-common-base python3native
 
diff --git a/meta/classes/python-dir.bbclass b/meta/classes/python-dir.bbclass
index ebfa4b30f6..a11dc350be 100644
--- a/meta/classes/python-dir.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/python-dir.bbclass
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-PYTHON_BASEVERSION ?= "2.7"
-PYTHON_ABI ?= ""
+PYTHON_BASEVERSION = "2.7"
+PYTHON_ABI = ""
 PYTHON_DIR = "python${PYTHON_BASEVERSION}"
-PYTHON_PN = "python${@'' if '${PYTHON_BASEVERSION}'.startswith('2') else '3'}"
+PYTHON_PN = "python"
 PYTHON_SITEPACKAGES_DIR = "${libdir}/${PYTHON_DIR}/site-packages"
diff --git a/meta/classes/python3-dir.bbclass b/meta/classes/python3-dir.bbclass
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..06bb046d9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/classes/python3-dir.bbclass
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+PYTHON_BASEVERSION = "3.5"
+PYTHON_ABI = "m"
+PYTHON_DIR = "python${PYTHON_BASEVERSION}"
+PYTHON_PN = "python3"
+PYTHON_SITEPACKAGES_DIR = "${libdir}/${PYTHON_DIR}/site-packages"
diff --git a/meta/classes/python3native.bbclass b/meta/classes/python3native.bbclass
index 8ec6b769da..18998636b4 100644
--- a/meta/classes/python3native.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/python3native.bbclass
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-PYTHON_BASEVERSION = "3.5"
-
-inherit python-dir
+inherit python3-dir
 
 PYTHON="${STAGING_BINDIR_NATIVE}/${PYTHON_PN}-native/${PYTHON_PN}"
 EXTRANATIVEPATH += "${PYTHON_PN}-native"