diff --git a/python/pyspark/context.py b/python/pyspark/context.py
index 4439356c1f10faa0a81c05e4213f41db93fa7e44..e486f206b09cfeca6593551e4f2d747ad3db9ec1 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/context.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/context.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class SparkContext(object):
         self._jsc = self.jvm.JavaSparkContext(master, jobName, sparkHome,
                                               empty_string_array)
 
-        self.pythonExec = os.environ.get("PYSPARK_PYTHON_EXEC", 'python')
+        self.pythonExec = os.environ.get("PYSPARK_PYTHON", 'python')
         # Broadcast's __reduce__ method stores Broadcast instances here.
         # This allows other code to determine which Broadcast instances have
         # been pickled, so it can determine which Java broadcast objects to