diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 45d490355d..fcaab7b9a7 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -43,10 +43,17 @@ set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY USE_FOLDERS ON)
 OPTION(BUILD_HELICS_EXAMPLES "Enable the example Executables to be built" ON)
 
 OPTION(BUILD_PYTHON_INTERFACE "Build Python extension" OFF)
+OPTION(BUILD_PYTHON2_INTERFACE "Build Python2.7 extension(Requires swig and will not build if python interface is active)" OFF)
 OPTION(BUILD_MATLAB_INTERFACE "Build Matlab Extension" OFF)
 OPTION(BUILD_OCTAVE_INTERFACE "Build Octave extension (very experimental)" OFF)
 OPTION(BUILD_JAVA_INTERFACE "Build Java extension" OFF)
 
+if (BUILD_PYTHON_INTERFACE OR BUILD_PYTHON2_INTERFACE OR BUILD_MATLAB_INTERFACE OR BUILD_JAVA_INTERFACE OR BUILD_OCTAVE_INTERFACE OR BUILD_C_SHARED_LIB OR BUILD_CXX_SHARED_LIB)
+set(INTERFACE_BUILD ON)
+else()
+set(INTERFACE_BUILD OFF)
+endif()
+
 OPTION(DISABLE_SWIG "Disable the use of swig to generate interface code and use repo code" OFF)
 
 OPTION(BUILD_C_SHARED_LIB "Build the Shared Libraries with a C interface" ON)
@@ -54,14 +61,14 @@ IF(NOT MSVC)
 	OPTION(BUILD_CXX_SHARED_LIB "Build a Shared Libraries of the CXX interface gcc/clang only" OFF)
 ENDIF()
 
-if (BUILD_PYTHON_INTERFACE OR BUILD_MATLAB_INTERFACE OR BUILD_JAVA_INTERFACE OR BUILD_OCTAVE_INTERFACE OR BUILD_C_SHARED_LIB OR BUILD_CXX_SHARED_LIB)
+if (INTERFACE_BUILD OR BUILD_C_SHARED_LIB OR BUILD_CXX_SHARED_LIB)
 	set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS ON)
 else()
 	OPTION(USE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE "Build the libraries with Position independent code Useful if only building the static library and it will be used later in a shared library" OFF)
 endif()
 
 
-if (BUILD_PYTHON_INTERFACE OR BUILD_MATLAB_INTERFACE OR BUILD_JAVA_INTERFACE OR BUILD_OCTAVE_INTERFACE OR BUILD_C_SHARED_LIB)
+if (INTERFACE_BUILD OR BUILD_C_SHARED_LIB)
 	set(BUILT_C_SHARED_LIB ON)
 endif()
 
@@ -328,7 +335,7 @@ IF(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS AND NOT BUILD_CXX_SHARED_LIB)
 ENDIF()
 
 IF(BUILD_CXX_SHARED_LIB)
-	if (BUILD_C_SHARED_LIB OR BUILD_PYTHON_INTERFACE OR BUILD_JAVA_INTERFACE OR BUILD_MATLAB_INTERFACE OR BUILD_OCTAVE_INTERFACE)
+	if (BUILD_C_SHARED_LIB OR INTERFACE_BUILD)
 		message(WARNING "Building the CXX shared library and C shared library in the same build is not advisable due to conflicting symbol visibility guidelines and is unlikely to work very well")
 	endif()
 
@@ -400,7 +407,7 @@ if (ENABLE_CLANG_TOOLS)
 include(clang-cxx-dev-tools)
 endif(ENABLE_CLANG_TOOLS)
 
-if (BUILD_PYTHON_INTERFACE OR BUILD_MATLAB_INTERFACE OR BUILD_JAVA_INTERFACE OR BUILD_OCTAVE_INTERFACE)
+if (INTERFACE_BUILD)
 add_subdirectory(swig)
 endif()
 
diff --git a/swig/CMakeLists.txt b/swig/CMakeLists.txt
index b721a745de..10960dfb09 100644
--- a/swig/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/swig/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES("${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/helics/shared_api_library")
 
 if (BUILD_PYTHON_INTERFACE)
     ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(python)
+	if( BUILD_PYTHON2_INTERFACE)
+		message(WARNING "PYTHON2 interface will not be built since python 3 build is active")
+	endif()
+elseif (BUILD_PYTHON2_INTERFACE)
+    ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(python2)
 endif()
 
 if (BUILD_JAVA_INTERFACE)
diff --git a/swig/python2/CMakeLists.txt b/swig/python2/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e5c96d4573
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swig/python2/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+
+IF (DISABLE_SWIG OR NOT SWIG_EXECUTABLE)
+
+MESSAGE(ERROR "Python 2 build requires swig")
+
+ENDIF()
+
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/3818084/5451769
+if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC OR CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX)
+  # Update if necessary
+  set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -Wno-long-long -Wno-overlength-strings -Wno-ignored-attributes")
+endif()
+
+find_package(PythonLibs 2 REQUIRED )
+
+INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${PYTHON_INCLUDE_PATH})
+INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+
+SET(CMAKE_SWIG_FLAGS "")
+
+set(CMAKE_MACOSX_RPATH 1)
+set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}")
+
+SET_PROPERTY(SOURCE ../helics.i PROPERTY SWIG_MODULE_NAME helics)
+
+
+IF (${CMAKE_MAJOR_VERSION}.${CMAKE_MINOR_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER 3.7)
+  SWIG_ADD_LIBRARY(helics TYPE MODULE LANGUAGE python SOURCES helicsPython2.i)
+ELSE ()
+  SWIG_ADD_MODULE(helics python helicsPython2.i)
+ENDIF ()
+
+SWIG_LINK_LIBRARIES(helics helicsSharedLib)
+
+
+if (${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Darwin")
+  # https://groups.google.com/a/continuum.io/d/msg/anaconda/057P4uNWyCU/Iem6OtjBCQAJ
+  set_target_properties(_helics PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS "-undefined dynamic_lookup")
+else ()
+  SWIG_LINK_LIBRARIES(helics ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES})
+endif()
+
+set_target_properties (_helics PROPERTIES FOLDER interfaces)
+
+INSTALL(TARGETS _helics DESTINATION python COMPONENT python)
+
+foreach(keyfile IN LISTS KEY_LIBRARY_FILES)
+add_custom_command(TARGET _helics POST_BUILD        # Adds a post-build event to api tests
+    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different  # which executes "cmake - E copy_if_different..."
+        "${keyfile}"      # <--this is in-file
+        "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:_helics>/")                 # <--this is out-file path
+endforeach(keyfile)
+
+add_custom_command(TARGET _helics2 POST_BUILD        # Adds a post-build event to api tests
+    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different  # which executes "cmake - E copy_if_different..."
+        "$<TARGET_FILE:helicsSharedLib>"      # <--this is in-file
+        "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:_helics>/")                 # <--this is out-file path
+		
+
+
+
+INSTALL(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/helics.py DESTINATION python COMPONENT python)
+INSTALL(FILES $<TARGET_FILE:helicsSharedLib> DESTINATION python COMPONENT python)
+INSTALL(FILES ${KEY_LIBRARY_FILES} DESTINATION python COMPONENT python)
+
diff --git a/swig/python2/README.md b/swig/python2/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d2f6374984
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swig/python2/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# HELICS python 2.7 extension
+
+
diff --git a/swig/python2/helicsPython2.i b/swig/python2/helicsPython2.i
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1251ba16fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swig/python2/helicsPython2.i
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+%include "cstring.i"
+%include "python_maps2.i"
+
+%include "../helics.i"
+
diff --git a/swig/python2/python_maps2.i b/swig/python2/python_maps2.i
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ebef4449f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swig/python2/python_maps2.i
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+
+//typemap for short maxlen strings
+%typemap(in, numinputs=0) (char *outputString, int maxlen) {
+  $2=256;
+  $1=(char *)malloc(256);
+}
+
+%typemap(argout) (char *outputString, int maxlen) {
+  PyObject *str=PyString_FromString($1);
+  $result = SWIG_Python_AppendOutput($result, str);
+}
+
+%typemap(freearg) (char *outputString, int maxlen) {
+   if ($1) free($1);
+}
+
+
+//typemap for large string output with a length return in C
+%typemap(in, numinputs=0) (char *outputString, int maxStringlen, int *actualLength) {
+  $3=&($2);
+}
+
+%typemap(freearg) (char *outputString, int maxStringlen, int *actualLength) {
+   if ($1) free($1);
+}
+
+%typemap(check)(char *outputString, int maxStringlen, int *actualLength) {
+    $2=helicsSubscriptionGetValueSize(arg1)+2;
+    $1 = (char *) malloc($2);
+}
+
+%typemap(argout) (char *outputString, int maxStringlen, int *actualLength) {
+  PyObject *o2=PyString_FromString($1);
+  $result = SWIG_Python_AppendOutput($result, o2);
+}
+
+
+//typemap for the input arguments
+%typemap(in) (int argc, const char *const *argv) {
+  /* Check if is a list */
+  if (PyList_Check($input)) {
+    int i;
+    $1 = PyList_Size($input);
+    $2 = (char **) malloc(($1+1)*sizeof(char *));
+    for (i = 0; i < $1; i++) {
+      PyObject *o = PyList_GetItem($input,i);
+      if (PyString_Check(o))
+	$2[i] = PyString_AsString(PyList_GetItem($input,i));
+      else {
+	PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,"list must contain strings");
+	free($2);
+	return NULL;
+      }
+    }
+    $2[i] = 0;
+  } else {
+    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,"not a list");
+    return NULL;
+  }
+}
+
+%typemap(freearg) (int argc, const char *const *argv) {
+  free((char *) $2);
+}
+
+// typemap for vector input functions
+%typemap(in) (const double *vectorInput, int vectorlength) {
+  int i;
+  if (!PyList_Check($input)) {
+    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,"Expected a list");
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  $2=PyList_Size($input);
+  $1 = (double *) malloc($2*sizeof(double));
+
+  for (i = 0; i < $2; i++) {
+    PyObject *o = PyList_GetItem($input,i);
+    if (PyFloat_Check(o)) {
+      $1[i] = PyFloat_AsDouble(o);
+	}else if (PyInt_Check(o))
+	{
+		$1[i] = (double)(PyInt_AsLong(o));
+	} else {
+      PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError,"List elements must be numbers");
+      free($1);
+      return NULL;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+%typemap(argout) (const double *vectorInput, int vectorlength)
+{
+}
+
+%typemap(freearg) (const double *vectorInput, int vectorlength) {
+   if ($1) free($1);
+}
+
+// typemap for vector output functions
+
+%typemap(arginit) (double data[], int maxlen, int *actualSize) {
+  $1=(double *)(NULL);
+}
+
+%typemap(in, numinputs=0) (double data[], int maxlen, int *actualSize) {
+  $3=&($2);
+}
+
+%typemap(freearg) (double data[], int maxlen, int *actualSize) {
+   if ($1) free($1);
+}
+
+// Set argument to NULL before any conversion occurs
+%typemap(check)(double data[], int maxlen, int *actualSize) {
+    $2=helicsSubscriptionGetVectorSize(arg1);
+    $1 = (double *) malloc($2*sizeof(double));
+}
+
+%typemap(argout) (double data[], int maxlen, int *actualSize) {
+  int i;
+  PyObject *o2=PyList_New(*$3);
+  for (i = 0; i < *$3; i++) {
+	PyObject *o_item=PyFloat_FromDouble($1[i]);
+      PyList_SetItem(o2, i, o_item);
+      }
+
+  $result = SWIG_Python_AppendOutput($result, o2);
+}
+
+%apply (char *STRING, size_t LENGTH) { (const void *data, int inputDataLength) };
+
+%apply (char *outputString, int maxStringlen, int *actualLength) {(void *data, int maxDatalen, int *actualSize)};