diff --git a/platformio/app.py b/platformio/app.py
index 54ddf9be..25ec8ce7 100644
--- a/platformio/app.py
+++ b/platformio/app.py
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import hashlib
 import json
 import uuid
-import hashlib
 from copy import deepcopy
 from os import environ, getenv
 from os.path import getmtime, isfile, join
diff --git a/platformio/builder/main.py b/platformio/builder/main.py
index 15a248b2..2b5ea8d3 100644
--- a/platformio/builder/main.py
+++ b/platformio/builder/main.py
@@ -14,9 +14,8 @@
 
 import base64
 import json
-import sys
 from os import environ
-from os.path import join, normpath
+from os.path import join
 from time import time
 
 from SCons.Script import (ARGUMENTS, COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS,
@@ -91,7 +90,7 @@ DEFAULT_ENV_OPTIONS = dict(
         util.get_projectlib_dir(), util.get_projectlibdeps_dir(),
         join("$PIOHOME_DIR", "lib")
     ],
-    PYTHONEXE=normpath(sys.executable))
+    PYTHONEXE=util.get_pythonexe_path())
 
 if not int(ARGUMENTS.get("PIOVERBOSE", 0)):
     print "Verbose mode can be enabled via `-v, --verbose` option"
diff --git a/platformio/commands/upgrade.py b/platformio/commands/upgrade.py
index 5f81807d..ef613fc8 100644
--- a/platformio/commands/upgrade.py
+++ b/platformio/commands/upgrade.py
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-import os
 import re
-import sys
 
 import click
 import requests
@@ -43,7 +41,7 @@ def cli():
         r = None
         try:
             for cmd in cmds:
-                cmd = [os.path.normpath(sys.executable), "-m"] + cmd
+                cmd = [util.get_pythonexe_path(), "-m"] + cmd
                 r = None
                 r = util.exec_command(cmd)
 
diff --git a/platformio/ide/projectgenerator.py b/platformio/ide/projectgenerator.py
index ecd2f868..03df1840 100644
--- a/platformio/ide/projectgenerator.py
+++ b/platformio/ide/projectgenerator.py
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@
 import json
 import os
 import re
-import sys
-from os.path import (abspath, basename, expanduser, isdir, isfile, join,
-                     normpath, relpath)
+from os.path import abspath, basename, expanduser, isdir, isfile, join, relpath
 
 import bottle
 
@@ -63,7 +61,7 @@ class ProjectGenerator(object):
         envdata = self.get_project_env()
         if "env_name" not in envdata:
             return data
-        cmd = [normpath(sys.executable), "-m", "platformio", "-f"]
+        cmd = [util.get_pythonexe_path(), "-m", "platformio", "-f"]
         if app.get_session_var("caller_id"):
             cmd.extend(["-c", app.get_session_var("caller_id")])
         cmd.extend(["run", "-t", "idedata", "-e", envdata['env_name']])
diff --git a/platformio/managers/platform.py b/platformio/managers/platform.py
index 4372bb0c..05a303b7 100644
--- a/platformio/managers/platform.py
+++ b/platformio/managers/platform.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 import base64
 import os
 import re
-import sys
 from imp import load_source
 from multiprocessing import cpu_count
 from os.path import basename, dirname, isdir, isfile, join
@@ -260,18 +259,8 @@ class PlatformRunMixin(object):
         return result
 
     def _run_scons(self, variables, targets):
-        # pass current PYTHONPATH to SCons
-        if "PYTHONPATH" in os.environ:
-            _PYTHONPATH = os.environ.get("PYTHONPATH").split(os.pathsep)
-        else:
-            _PYTHONPATH = []
-        for p in os.sys.path:
-            if p not in _PYTHONPATH:
-                _PYTHONPATH.append(p)
-        os.environ['PYTHONPATH'] = os.pathsep.join(_PYTHONPATH)
-
         cmd = [
-            os.path.normpath(sys.executable),
+            util.get_pythonexe_path(),
             join(self.get_package_dir("tool-scons"), "script", "scons"), "-Q",
             "-j %d" % self.get_job_nums(), "--warn=no-no-parallel-support",
             "-f", join(util.get_source_dir(), "builder", "main.py")
@@ -283,6 +272,7 @@ class PlatformRunMixin(object):
         for key, value in variables.items():
             cmd.append("%s=%s" % (key.upper(), base64.b64encode(value)))
 
+        util.copy_pythonpath_to_osenv()
         result = util.exec_command(
             cmd,
             stdout=util.AsyncPipe(self.on_run_out),
diff --git a/platformio/util.py b/platformio/util.py
index 4dbf530e..0a55725a 100644
--- a/platformio/util.py
+++ b/platformio/util.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 from glob import glob
 from os.path import (abspath, basename, dirname, expanduser, isdir, isfile,
-                     join, splitdrive)
+                     join, normpath, splitdrive)
 from platform import system, uname
 from shutil import rmtree
 from threading import Thread
@@ -299,6 +299,16 @@ def exec_command(*args, **kwargs):
     return result
 
 
+def copy_pythonpath_to_osenv():
+    _PYTHONPATH = []
+    if "PYTHONPATH" in os.environ:
+        _PYTHONPATH = os.environ.get("PYTHONPATH").split(os.pathsep)
+    for p in os.sys.path:
+        if p not in _PYTHONPATH:
+            _PYTHONPATH.append(p)
+    os.environ['PYTHONPATH'] = os.pathsep.join(_PYTHONPATH)
+
+
 def get_serialports():
     try:
         from serial.tools.list_ports import comports
@@ -446,6 +456,10 @@ def get_frameworks(type_=None):
     return frameworks
 
 
+def get_pythonexe_path():
+    return os.environ.get("PYTHONEXEPATH", normpath(sys.executable))
+
+
 def where_is_program(program, envpath=None):
     env = os.environ
     if envpath: