diff --git a/scripts/bitbake b/scripts/bitbake
index 587428c589..1c8d4ebe19 100755
--- a/scripts/bitbake
+++ b/scripts/bitbake
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ if [ "$py_v3_check" != "" ]; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
+# Similarly, we now have code that doesn't parse correctly with older
+# versions of Python, and rather than fixing that and be eternally
+# vigilant for any other new feature use, just check the version here.
+py_v26_check=`python -c 'import sys; print sys.version_info >= (2,6,0)'`
+if [ "$py_v26_check" != "True" ]; then
+	echo "BitBake requires Python 2.6 or later"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
 needtar="1"
 TARVERSION=`tar --version | head -n 1 | cut -d ' ' -f 4`
 float_test() {