diff --git a/install.py b/install.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..320e7640
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import os.path as p
+import glob
+
+DIR_OF_THIS_SCRIPT = p.dirname( p.abspath( __file__ ) )
+DIR_OF_OLD_LIBS = p.join( DIR_OF_THIS_SCRIPT, 'python' )
+
+
+def Main():
+  build_file = p.join( DIR_OF_THIS_SCRIPT, 'third_party', 'ycmd', 'build.py' )
+
+  if not p.isfile( build_file ):
+    sys.exit( 'File ' + build_file + ' does not exist; you probably forgot '
+              'to run:\n\tgit submodule update --init --recursive\n\n' )
+
+  python_binary = sys.executable
+  args = ' '.join( sys.argv[1:] )
+  subprocess.call( ' '.join( [ python_binary, build_file, args ] ) )
+
+  # Remove old YCM libs if present so that YCM can start.
+  old_libs = (
+    glob.glob( p.join( DIR_OF_OLD_LIBS, '*ycm_core.*' ) ) +
+    glob.glob( p.join( DIR_OF_OLD_LIBS, '*ycm_client_support.*' ) ) +
+    glob.glob( p.join( DIR_OF_OLD_LIBS, '*clang*.*') ) )
+  for lib in old_libs:
+    os.remove( lib )
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  Main()
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index ca095896..8c9c2fd1 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -1,15 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+echo "WARNING: this script is deprecated. Use the install.py script instead." 1>&2
+
+
 SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname $0 || exit $?)
-cd $SCRIPT_DIR || exit $?
-
-build_file=$SCRIPT_DIR/third_party/ycmd/build.py
-
-if [ ! -f "$build_file" ]; then
-  echo "File $build_file doesn't exist; you probably forgot to run:"
-  printf "\n\tgit submodule update --init --recursive\n\n"
-  exit 1
-fi
 
 command_exists() {
   command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1 ;
@@ -20,9 +14,4 @@ if command_exists python2; then
   PYTHON_BINARY=python2
 fi
 
-$PYTHON_BINARY "$build_file" "$@" || exit $?
-
-# Remove old YCM libs if present so that YCM can start.
-rm -f python/*ycm_core.* &> /dev/null
-rm -f python/*ycm_client_support.* &> /dev/null
-rm -f python/*clang*.* &> /dev/null
+$PYTHON_BINARY "$SCRIPT_DIR/install.py" "$@" || exit $?