diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -7,9 +7,28 @@ tests_watch:
 	eval env/bin/nosetests --with-watch $(NOSEARGS)
 
 
-install_python_deps:
+# needed packages: python-gtk2 python-imaging
+
+install_python_deps: link_to_sys_packages
 	env/bin/pip install -r pydeps
 
+DP=/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages
+SP=env/lib/python2.7/site-packages
+
+link_to_sys_packages:
+	# http://stackoverflow.com/questions/249283/virtualenv-on-ubuntu-with-no-site-packages
+	ln -sf $(DP)/glib $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/gobject $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/cairo $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/gtk-2.0 $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/pygtk.py $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/pygtk.pth $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/pygst.pth $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/pygst.py $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/gst-0.10 $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/PIL $(SP)/
+	ln -sf $(DP)/PIL.pth $(SP)/
+
 PYTHON=/usr/bin/pypy
 PYTHON=/usr/bin/python