diff --git a/arch/ia64/Makefile b/arch/ia64/Makefile
index 34951aa2370b..b916ccfdef84 100644
--- a/arch/ia64/Makefile
+++ b/arch/ia64/Makefile
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ vmlinux.gz: vmlinux
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(build)=$(boot) $@
 
 unwcheck: vmlinux
-	-$(Q)READELF=$(READELF) $(srctree)/arch/ia64/scripts/unwcheck.py $<
+	-$(Q)READELF=$(READELF) python $(srctree)/arch/ia64/scripts/unwcheck.py $<
 
 archclean:
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) $(clean)=$(boot)
diff --git a/arch/ia64/scripts/unwcheck.py b/arch/ia64/scripts/unwcheck.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644