diff --git a/mode/python/python.js b/mode/python/python.js
index be65ad76876c7723da96cae9f14c02ddc1e8a873..4873a3e3a6a7f95c0e478b5277c6e533eeba6411 100644
--- a/mode/python/python.js
+++ b/mode/python/python.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     if (parserConf.extra_builtins != undefined)
       myBuiltins = myBuiltins.concat(parserConf.extra_builtins);
 
-    var py3 = parserConf.version && parseInt(parserConf.version, 10) == 3
+    var py3 = parserConf.version && Number(parserConf.version) < 3
     if (py3) {
       // since http://legacy.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0465/ @ is also an operator
       var singleOperators = parserConf.singleOperators || /^[\+\-\*\/%&|\^~<>!@]/;