diff --git a/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build b/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
index e76ac01c..3e0f5421 100755
--- a/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
+++ b/plugins/python-build/bin/python-build
@@ -1507,8 +1507,9 @@ use_macports() {
   local port_location="$(command -v port)"
   if [ -n "$port_location" ]; then
     local prefix="${port_location%/bin/port}"
-    export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS:+$CPPFLAGS }-I${prefix}/include"
-    append_ldflags_libs "-L${prefix}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${prefix}/lib"
+    export CPPFLAGS="-I${prefix}/include${CPPFLAGS:+ $CPPFLAGS}"
+    prepend_ldflags_libs "-L${prefix}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${prefix}/lib"
+    export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$prefix/lib/pkgconfig${PKG_CONFIG_PATH:+:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH}"
     lock_in macports
   fi
 }
@@ -1538,15 +1539,9 @@ use_homebrew_yaml() {
 
 use_macports_yaml() {
   can_use_macports || return 1
-  local prefix="$(port -q location libyaml 2>/dev/null || true)"
-  if [ -n "$prefix" ]; then
-    local libdir="$prefix/opt/local"
-    if [ -d "$libdir" ]; then
-      echo "python-build: use libyaml from MacPorts"
-      export CPPFLAGS="-I$libdir/include${CPPFLAGS:+ $CPPFLAGS}"
-      export LDFLAGS="-L$libdir/lib${LDFLAGS:+ ${LDFLAGS% }}"
-      lock_in macports
-    fi
+  if [[ $(port -q installed libyaml | awk '{print $3}') == "(active)" ]]; then
+    echo "python-build: use libyaml from MacPorts"
+    lock_in macports
   else
     return 1
   fi
@@ -1615,15 +1610,9 @@ use_homebrew_readline() {
 use_macports_readline() {
   can_use_macports || return 1
   if ! configured_with_package_dir "python" "readline/rlconf.h"; then
-    local prefix="$(port -q location readline 2>/dev/null || true)"
-    if [ -n "$prefix" ]; then
-      local libdir="$prefix/opt/local"
-      if [ -d "$libdir" ]; then
-        echo "python-build: use readline from MacPorts"
-        export CPPFLAGS="-I$libdir/include${CPPFLAGS:+ $CPPFLAGS}"
-        export LDFLAGS="-L$libdir/lib${LDFLAGS:+ $LDFLAGS}"
-        lock_in macports
-      fi
+    if [[ $(port -q installed readline | awk '{print $3}') == "(active)" ]]; then
+      echo "python-build: use readline from MacPorts"
+      lock_in macports
     else
       return 1
     fi
@@ -1645,15 +1634,9 @@ use_homebrew_ncurses() {
 
 use_macports_ncurses() {
   can_use_macports || return 1
-  local prefix="$(port -q location ncurses 2>/dev/null || true)"
-  if [[ -n "$prefix" ]]; then
-    local libdir="$prefix/opt/local"
-    if [ -d "$libdir" ]; then
-      echo "python-build: use ncurses from MacPorts"
-      export CPPFLAGS="-I$libdir/include${CPPFLAGS:+ $CPPFLAGS}"
-      export LDFLAGS="-L$libdir/lib${LDFLAGS:+ $LDFLAGS}"
-      lock_in macports
-    fi
+  if [[ $(port -q installed ncurses | awk '{print $3}') == "(active)" ]]; then
+    echo "python-build: use ncurses from MacPorts"
+    lock_in macports
   else
     return 1
   fi
@@ -1724,22 +1707,16 @@ use_homebrew_openssl() {
 use_macports_openssl() {
   can_use_macports || return 1
   command -v port >/dev/null || return 1
+  local port_location="$(command -v port)"
+  local prefix="${port_location%/bin/port}"
   for openssl in ${PYTHON_BUILD_HOMEBREW_OPENSSL_FORMULA:-openssl}; do
-    local ssldir="$(port -q location "${openssl}" 2>/dev/null || true)"
-    if [ -n "$ssldir" ]; then
-      ssldir="${ssldir}/opt/local"
-      if [ -d "$ssldir" ]; then
-        echo "python-build: use ${openssl} from MacPorts"
-        if [[ -n "${PYTHON_BUILD_CONFIGURE_WITH_OPENSSL:-}" ]]; then
-          # configure script of newer CPython versions support `--with-openssl`
-          # https://bugs.python.org/issue21541
-          package_option python configure --with-openssl="${ssldir}"
-        else
-          export CPPFLAGS="-I$ssldir/include ${CPPFLAGS:+ $CPPFLAGS}"
-          export LDFLAGS="-L$ssldir/lib${LDFLAGS:+ $LDFLAGS}"
-        fi
+    if [[ $(port -q installed ${openssl} | awk '{print $3}') == "(active)" ]]; then
+      echo "python-build: use ${openssl} from MacPorts"
+      if [[ -n "${PYTHON_BUILD_CONFIGURE_WITH_OPENSSL:-}" ]]; then
+        # configure script of newer CPython versions support `--with-openssl`
+        # https://bugs.python.org/issue21541
+        package_option python configure --with-openssl="${prefix}"
       fi
-      export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$ssldir/lib/pkgconfig/:${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}"
       lock_in macports
       return 0
     fi
@@ -1863,15 +1840,9 @@ use_xcode_sdk_zlib() {
 
 use_macports_zlib() {
   can_use_macports || return 1
-  local prefix="$(port -q location zlib 2>/dev/null || true)"
-  if [[ -n "$prefix" ]]; then
-      local libdir="$prefix/opt/local"
-      if [[ -d "$libdir" ]]; then
-        echo "python-build: use zlib from MacPorts"
-        export CPPFLAGS="-I$prefix/include ${CPPFLAGS}"
-        export LDFLAGS="-L$prefix/lib ${LDFLAGS}"
-        lock_in macports
-      fi
+  if [[ $(port -q installed zlib | awk '{print $3}') == "(active)" ]]; then
+    echo "python-build: use zlib from MacPorts"
+    lock_in macports
   else
     return 1
   fi
diff --git a/plugins/python-build/test/build.bats b/plugins/python-build/test/build.bats
index 0f2aab0e..01e48630 100644
--- a/plugins/python-build/test/build.bats
+++ b/plugins/python-build/test/build.bats
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ DEF
   unstub make
 
   assert_build_log <<OUT
-Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I${TMP}/install/include -I$PORT_PREFIX/include" LDFLAGS="-L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib -L$PORT_PREFIX/lib -Wl,-rpath,$PORT_PREFIX/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH=""
+Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I$PORT_PREFIX/include -I${TMP}/install/include" LDFLAGS="-L$PORT_PREFIX/lib -Wl,-rpath,$PORT_PREFIX/lib -L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${TMP}/lib/pkgconfig"
 Python-3.6.2: --prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT --enable-shared --libdir=$INSTALL_ROOT/lib
 make -j 2
 make install
@@ -373,12 +373,9 @@ OUT
 @test "yaml is linked from MacPorts" {
   cached_tarball "Python-3.6.2"
 
-  yaml_libdir="$TMP/port-yaml"
-  mkdir -p "$yaml_libdir/opt/local"
-
   stub uname '-s : echo Darwin'
   stub sw_vers '-productVersion : echo 1010'
-  stub port "-q location libyaml : echo '$yaml_libdir'"
+  stub port "-q installed libyaml : echo '  libyaml @0.2.5_0 (active)'"
   for i in {1..3}; do stub port false; done
   stub_make_install
 
@@ -391,7 +388,7 @@ OUT
   unstub make
 
   assert_build_log <<OUT
-Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I$yaml_libdir/opt/local/include -I${TMP}/install/include -I${TMP}/include" LDFLAGS="-L$yaml_libdir/opt/local/lib -L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib -L${TMP}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH=""
+Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I${TMP}/include -I${TMP}/install/include" LDFLAGS="-L${TMP}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/lib -L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${TMP}/lib/pkgconfig"
 Python-3.6.2: --prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT --enable-shared --libdir=$INSTALL_ROOT/lib
 make -j 2
 make install
@@ -401,12 +398,9 @@ OUT
 @test "readline is linked from MacPorts" {
   cached_tarball "Python-3.6.2"
 
-  readline_libdir="$TMP/port-readline"
-  mkdir -p "$readline_libdir/opt/local"
-
   stub uname '-s : echo Darwin'
   stub sw_vers '-productVersion : echo 1010'
-  stub port "-q location readline : echo '$readline_libdir'"
+  stub port "-q installed readline : echo '  readline @8.2.013_0 (active)'"
   for i in {1..2}; do stub port false; done
   stub_make_install
 
@@ -421,7 +415,7 @@ DEF
   unstub make
 
   assert_build_log <<OUT
-Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I$readline_libdir/opt/local/include -I${TMP}/install/include -I${TMP}/include" LDFLAGS="-L$readline_libdir/opt/local/lib -L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib -L${TMP}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH=""
+Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I${TMP}/include -I${TMP}/install/include" LDFLAGS="-L${TMP}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/lib -L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${TMP}/lib/pkgconfig"
 Python-3.6.2: --prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT --enable-shared --libdir=$INSTALL_ROOT/lib
 make -j 2
 make install
@@ -431,13 +425,10 @@ OUT
 @test "ncurses is linked from MacPorts" {
   cached_tarball "Python-3.6.2"
 
-  ncurses_libdir="$TMP/port-ncurses"
-  mkdir -p "$ncurses_libdir/opt/local"
-
   stub uname '-s : echo Darwin'
   stub sw_vers '-productVersion : echo 1010'
   stub port false
-  stub port "-q location ncurses : echo '$ncurses_libdir'"
+  stub port "-q installed ncurses : echo '$ncurses_libdir'"
   stub port false
   stub_make_install
 
@@ -452,7 +443,7 @@ DEF
   unstub make
 
   assert_build_log <<OUT
-Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I$ncurses_libdir/opt/local/include -I${TMP}/install/include -I${TMP}/include" LDFLAGS="-L$ncurses_libdir/opt/local/lib -L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib -L${TMP}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH=""
+Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I${TMP}/include -I${TMP}/install/include" LDFLAGS="-L${TMP}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/lib -L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${TMP}/lib/pkgconfig"
 Python-3.6.2: --prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT --enable-shared --libdir=$INSTALL_ROOT/lib
 make -j 2
 make install
@@ -626,7 +617,7 @@ DEF
   unstub make
 
   assert_build_log <<OUT
-Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I${TMP}/install/include -I$PORT_PREFIX/include" LDFLAGS="-L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib -L$PORT_PREFIX/lib -Wl,-rpath,$PORT_PREFIX/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH=""
+Python-3.6.2: CFLAGS="" CPPFLAGS="-I${TMP}/include -I${TMP}/install/include" LDFLAGS="-L${TMP}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/lib -L${TMP}/install/lib -Wl,-rpath,${TMP}/install/lib" PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${TMP}/lib/pkgconfig"
 Python-3.6.2: --prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT --enable-shared --libdir=$INSTALL_ROOT/lib
 make -j 2
 make install