diff --git a/Python/2.x/Dockerfile b/Python/2.x/Dockerfile
index fa79000b..586872bd 100644
--- a/Python/2.x/Dockerfile
+++ b/Python/2.x/Dockerfile
@@ -30,17 +30,20 @@
 # Base image
 FROM s390x/ubuntu:16.04
 
+ARG PYTHON_VER=2.7.15
+
 # The author
 MAINTAINER LoZ Open Source Ecosystem (https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/groups/community/lozopensource)
 
+# Update and install packages for compiling
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     bzip2 \
     curl \
     g++ \
     gcc \
-    libbz2-dev \ 
+    libbz2-dev \
     libc6-dev \
-    libgdbm-dev \ 
+    libgdbm-dev \
     libncurses5-dev \
     libreadline6-dev \
     libsqlite3-dev \
@@ -49,24 +52,25 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     patch \
     tar \
     wget \
-    xz-utils \ 
-	zlib1g-dev \
-	libdb1-compat \
-	libdb-dev \
-	tk8.5-dev \
-	gdb \
+    xz-utils \
+    zlib1g-dev \
+    libdb1-compat \
+    libdb-dev \
+    tk8.5-dev \
+    gdb
+
+# Pull python source
+RUN wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/${PYTHON_VER}/Python-${PYTHON_VER}.tar.xz \
+ && tar -xvf Python-${PYTHON_VER}.tar.xz
 
-# Download Python from the ftp site
- && wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.15/Python-2.7.15.tar.xz \
- && tar -xvf Python-2.7.15.tar.xz \
- 
-# Build Python
- && ./configure --prefix=/usr/local --exec-prefix=/usr/local \
+# Build python with optimizations
+RUN cd Python-${PYTHON_VER} \
+ && ./configure --enable-optimizations --prefix=/usr/local --exec-prefix=/usr/local \
  && make \
- && make install \
+ && make install
 
 # Clean up cache data and remove dependencies that are not required
- && apt-get remove -y \
+RUN apt-get remove -y \
     bzip2 \
     curl \
     g++ \
@@ -74,9 +78,9 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     make \
     patch \
     wget \
-    xz-utils \ 
+    xz-utils \
  && apt autoremove -y \
  && apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* \
- && rm -rf /root/Python-2.7.15.tar.xz /root/Python-2.7.15
+ && rm -rf /Python-${PYTHON_VER}.tar.xz /Python-${PYTHON_VER}
 
 CMD python --version
diff --git a/Python/3.x/Dockerfile b/Python/3.x/Dockerfile
index 9e6a0582..b679b27a 100644
--- a/Python/3.x/Dockerfile
+++ b/Python/3.x/Dockerfile
@@ -30,15 +30,18 @@
 # Base image
 FROM s390x/ubuntu:16.04
 
+ARG PYTHON_VER=3.6.5
+
 # The author
 MAINTAINER LoZ Open Source Ecosystem (https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/groups/community/lozopensource)
 
+# Update and install packages for compiling
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     g++ \
     gcc \
-    libbz2-dev \ 
+    libbz2-dev \
     libc6-dev \
-    libgdbm-dev \ 
+    libgdbm-dev \
     libncurses5-dev \
     libreadline6-dev \
     libsqlite3-dev \
@@ -46,27 +49,27 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     make \
     tar \
     wget \
-    xz-utils \ 
+    xz-utils
 
 # Download Python from the ftp site
- && wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.6.5/Python-3.6.5.tar.xz \
- && tar -xvf Python-3.6.5.tar.xz \
+RUN wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/${PYTHON_VER}/Python-${PYTHON_VER}.tar.xz \
+ && tar -xvf Python-${PYTHON_VER}.tar.xz
 
 # Build Python
- && cd Python-3.6.5 \
- && ./configure --prefix=/usr/local --exec-prefix=/usr/local \
+RUN cd Python-${PYTHON_VER} \
+ && ./configure --enable-optimizations --prefix=/usr/local --exec-prefix=/usr/local \
  && make \
- && make install \
+ && make install
 
 # Clean up cache data and remove dependencies that are not required
- && apt-get remove -y \
+RUN apt-get remove -y \
     g++ \
     gcc \
     make \
     wget \
-    xz-utils \ 
+    xz-utils \
  && apt autoremove -y \
  && apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* \
- && rm -rf /root/Python-3.6.5.tar.xz /root/Python-3.6.5
+ && rm -rf /Python-${PYTHON_VER}.tar.xz /Python-${PYTHON_VER}
 
 CMD python3 --version