diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index c1a9c2b2..76a20b00 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,21 +1,19 @@
 os: linux
 dist: bionic
-arch: arm64
 language: python
 cache:
   - directories:
     - $HOME/.cache/pip
-before_cache:
-    - sudo chown -R travis:travis $HOME/.cache/pip
-    - rm -f $HOME/.cache/pip/log/debug.log
 addons:
   firefox: "latest"
 
 install:
+  - env
+  - which python; python --version
   - make V=1 install
   - make V=1 gecko.driver
   - make V=1 node.env
-  - local/py3/bin/pip install codecov
+  - make V=1 travis.codecov
 script:
   - make V=1 themes
   - make V=1 test
@@ -31,6 +29,7 @@ stages:
 jobs:
   include:
     - python: "2.7"
+      env: PY=2
     - python: "3.5"
     - python: "3.6"
     - stage: docker
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f38b5ca8..aefd005f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -210,6 +210,10 @@ gecko.driver:
 PHONY += test test.sh test.pylint test.pep8 test.unit test.coverage test.robot
 test: buildenv test.pylint test.pep8 test.unit gecko.driver test.robot
 
+ifeq ($(PY),2)
+test.pylint:
+	@echo "LINT      skip liniting py2"
+else
 # TODO: balance linting with pylint
 
 test.pylint: pyenvinstall
@@ -217,6 +221,7 @@ test.pylint: pyenvinstall
 		searx/preferences.py \
 		searx/testing.py \
 	)
+endif
 
 # ignored rules:
 #  E402 module level import not at top of file
@@ -256,4 +261,11 @@ test.clean:
 	@echo "CLEAN     intermediate test stuff"
 	$(Q)rm -rf geckodriver.log .coverage coverage/
 
+
+# travis
+# ------
+
+travis.codecov:
+	$(Q)$(PY_ENV_BIN)/python -m pip install codecov
+
 .PHONY: $(PHONY)
diff --git a/manage.sh b/manage.sh
index 4831fc1f..b2ffb638 100755
--- a/manage.sh
+++ b/manage.sh
@@ -121,8 +121,9 @@ docker_build() {
     SEARX_GIT_VERSION=$(git describe --match "v[0-9]*\.[0-9]*\.[0-9]*" HEAD 2>/dev/null | awk -F'-' '{OFS="-"; $1=substr($1, 2); $3=substr($3, 2); print}')
 
     # add the suffix "-dirty" if the repository has uncommited change
+    # /!\ HACK for searx/searx: ignore searx/brand.py and utils/brand.env
     git update-index -q --refresh
-    if [ ! -z "$(git diff-index --name-only HEAD --)" ]; then
+    if [ ! -z "$(git diff-index --name-only HEAD -- | grep -v 'searx/brand.py' | grep -v 'utils/brand.env')" ]; then
 	SEARX_GIT_VERSION="${SEARX_GIT_VERSION}-dirty"
     fi
 
diff --git a/utils/makefile.python b/utils/makefile.python
index 2e488bf2..49944442 100644
--- a/utils/makefile.python
+++ b/utils/makefile.python
@@ -12,9 +12,12 @@ PYDIST   = ./$(LXC_ENV_FOLDER)dist
 # folder where the python intermediate build files take place
 PYBUILD  = ./$(LXC_ENV_FOLDER)build
 # python version to use
-PY       =3
-PYTHON   = python$(PY)
-PIP      = pip$(PY)
+PY       ?=3
+# $(PYTHON) points to the python interpreter from the OS!  The python from the
+# OS is needed e.g. to create a virtualenv.  For tasks inside the virtualenv the
+# interpeter from '$(PY_ENV_BIN)/python' is used.
+PYTHON   ?= python$(PY)
+PIP      ?= pip$(PY)
 PIP_INST ?= --user
 
 # https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0508/#extras
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ PYLINT_RC ?= .pylintrc
 TEST_FOLDER  ?= ./tests
 TEST         ?= .
 
-VTENV_OPTS   ?=
+VTENV_OPTS   = "--no-site-packages"
 PY_ENV       = ./$(LXC_ENV_FOLDER)local/py$(PY)
 PY_ENV_BIN   = $(PY_ENV)/bin
 PY_ENV_ACT   = . $(PY_ENV_BIN)/activate
@@ -38,6 +41,20 @@ ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
   PY_ENV_ACT = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/activate
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(PYTHON),python)
+  VIRTUALENV   = virtualenv
+else
+  VIRTUALENV   = virtualenv --python=$(PYTHON)
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(KBUILD_VERBOSE),1)
+  PIP_VERBOSE =
+  VIRTUALENV_VERBOSE =
+else
+  PIP_VERBOSE = "-q"
+  VIRTUALENV_VERBOSE = "-q"
+endif
+
 python-help::
 	@echo  'makefile.python:'
 	@echo  '  pyenv | pyenv[un]install'
@@ -81,22 +98,6 @@ python-exe:
 	@:
 endif
 
-msg-pip-exe:
-	@echo "\n  $(PIP) is required\n\n\
-  Make sure you have updated pip installed, grab it from\n\
-  https://pip.pypa.io or install it from your package\n\
-  manager. On debian based OS these requirements are\n\
-  installed by::\n\n\
-    sudo -H apt-get install python$(PY)-pip\n" | $(FMT)
-
-ifeq ($(shell which $(PIP) >/dev/null 2>&1; echo $$?), 1)
-pip-exe: msg-pip-exe
-	$(error The '$(PIP)' command was not found)
-else
-pip-exe:
-	@:
-endif
-
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # commands
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -107,9 +108,9 @@ quiet_cmd_pyinstall = INSTALL   $2
 
 # $2 path to folder with setup.py, this uses pip from pyenv (not OS!)
 quiet_cmd_pyenvinstall = PYENV     install $2
-      cmd_pyenvinstall = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) install -e $2$(PY_SETUP_EXTRAS)
+      cmd_pyenvinstall = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/python -m pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) install -e $2$(PY_SETUP_EXTRAS)
 
-# Uninstall the package. Since pip does not uninstall the no longer needed
+# Uninstall the package.  Since pip does not uninstall the no longer needed
 # depencies (something like autoremove) the depencies remain.
 
 # $2 package name to uninstall, this uses pip from the OS.
@@ -118,25 +119,23 @@ quiet_cmd_pyuninstall = UNINSTALL $2
 
 # $2 path to folder with setup.py, this uses pip from pyenv (not OS!)
 quiet_cmd_pyenvuninstall = PYENV     uninstall   $2
-      cmd_pyenvuninstall = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) uninstall --yes $2
+      cmd_pyenvuninstall = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/python -m pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) uninstall --yes $2
 
 # $2 path to folder where virtualenv take place
 quiet_cmd_virtualenv  = PYENV     usage: $ source ./$@/bin/activate
       cmd_virtualenv  = \
-	if [ ! -d "$(PY_ENV)" ];then                                    \
-		echo "PYENV     create virtualenv $2";                  \
-		$(PYTHON) -m venv $(VTENV_OPTS) $2;                     \
+	if [ ! -d "./$(PY_ENV)" ];then                                  \
+		$(VIRTUALENV) $(VIRTUALENV_VERBOSE) $(VTENV_OPTS) $2;   \
 	else                                                            \
 		echo "PYENV     using virtualenv from $2";              \
-        fi; \
-	echo "commands available at $(PY_ENV_BIN):"; ls $(PY_ENV_BIN) | $(FMT) ;
+        fi
 
 # $2 path to lint
 quiet_cmd_pylint      = LINT      $@
-      cmd_pylint      = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/pylint --rcfile $(PYLINT_RC) $2
+      cmd_pylint      = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/python -m pylint --rcfile $(PYLINT_RC) $2
 
 quiet_cmd_pytest      = TEST      $@
-      cmd_pytest      = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/tox -vv
+      cmd_pytest      = $(PY_ENV_BIN)/python -m tox -vv
 
 # setuptools, pip, easy_install its a mess full of cracks, a documentation hell
 # and broken by design ... all sucks, I really, really hate all this ... aaargh!
@@ -203,7 +202,7 @@ PHONY += pyclean
 pyclean:
 	$(call cmd,pyclean)
 
-# to build *local* environment, python and virtualenv from the OS is needed!
+# to build *local* environment, python from the OS is needed!
 pyenv: $(PY_ENV)
 $(PY_ENV): python-exe
 	$(call cmd,virtualenv,$(PY_ENV))
@@ -212,7 +211,7 @@ $(PY_ENV): python-exe
 
 PHONY += pylint-exe
 pylint-exe: $(PY_ENV)
-	@$(PY_ENV_BIN)/pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) install pylint
+	@$(PY_ENV_BIN)/python -m pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) install pylint
 
 PHONY += pylint
 pylint: pylint-exe
@@ -236,11 +235,11 @@ pydebug: $(PY_ENV)
 
 # install / uninstall python objects into virtualenv (PYENV)
 pyenv-install: $(PY_ENV)
-	@$(PY_ENV_BIN)/pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) install -e .
+	@$(PY_ENV_BIN)/python -m pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) install -e .
 	@echo "ACTIVATE  $(call normpath,$(PY_ENV_ACT)) "
 
 pyenv-uninstall: $(PY_ENV)
-	@$(PY_ENV_BIN)/pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) uninstall --yes .
+	@$(PY_ENV_BIN)/python -m pip $(PIP_VERBOSE) uninstall --yes .
 
 # runs python interpreter from ./local/py<N>/bin/python
 pyenv-python: pyenv-install