diff --git a/Cantera/python/SConscript b/Cantera/python/SConscript
index 89f0603e8..e2a4abfb0 100644
--- a/Cantera/python/SConscript
+++ b/Cantera/python/SConscript
@@ -48,9 +48,14 @@ else:
     # Install Python module in the default location
     extra = ''
 
-inst = localenv.Command('dummy', pymodule,
-                        'cd %s && $python_cmd setup.py install %s' % (moddir,extra))
-installTargets.extend(inst)
+if env['PYTHON_INSTALLER'] == 'direct':
+    inst = localenv.Command('dummy', pymodule,
+                            'cd %s && $python_cmd setup.py install %s' % (moddir,extra))
+    installTargets.extend(inst)
+elif env['PYTHON_INSTALLER'] == 'binary':
+    inst = localenv.Command('dummy', pymodule,
+                            'cd %s && $python_cmd setup.py bdist_msi --dist-dir=../..' % moddir)
+    installTargets.extend(inst)
 
 if env['python_package'] == 'full':
     # Copy tutorials
diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 24ab547b0..d067db721 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ opts.AddVariables(
         name recognized by the 'dot' program. On linux systems, this
         should be lowercase 'helvetica'.""",
      'Helvetica'),
-    ('cantera_version', '', '1.8.x')
+    ('cantera_version', '', '2.0.0b1')
     )
 
 opts.Update(env)
@@ -652,12 +652,14 @@ env['ct_matlab_dir'] = pjoin(env['prefix'], 'matlab', 'toolbox')
 if 'msi' in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS:
     env['stage_dir'] = 'stage'
     env['prefix'] = '.'
+    env['PYTHON_INSTALLER'] = 'binary'
+else:
+    env['PYTHON_INSTALLER'] = 'direct'
 
 # Directories where things will be staged for package creation. These
 # variables should always be used by the Install(...) targets
 if env['stage_dir']:
     instRoot = pjoin(os.getcwd(), env['stage_dir'], stripDrive(env['prefix']).strip('/\\'))
-    env['python_prefix'] = instRoot
 else:
     instRoot = env['prefix']