diff --git a/docs/python_api/dev_environment.rst b/docs/python_api/dev_environment.rst
index 5f20efae8..dac7dc4d7 100644
--- a/docs/python_api/dev_environment.rst
+++ b/docs/python_api/dev_environment.rst
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ Build instructions for your platform are available `on github <https://github.co
 .. note::
   On windows by default RenderDoc builds against python 3.6 which is what it's distributed with.
   
-  This can be overridden by setting the environment variable ``RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX32`` and/or ``RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX64`` to point to a python installation.
+  This can be overridden by setting an overridden path under the ``Python Configuration`` section in the properties of the ``qrenderdoc`` project. It must point to a python installation.
   
-  RenderDoc requires pythonXY.lib, include files such as include/Python.h, as well as a .zip of the standard library. If you installed python with an installer you have the first two, and can generate the third by zipping the contents of the Lib folder. If you downloaded the embeddable zip you will only have the library zip, you need to obtain the include files and library separately.
+  RenderDoc requires pythonXY.lib, include files such as include/Python.h, as well as a .zip of the standard library. If you installed python with an installer you have the first two, and can generate the standard library zip by zipping the contents of the Lib folder. If you downloaded the embeddable zip distribution you will only have the standard library zip, you need to obtain the include files and ``.lib`` file separately.
 
 Once you have compiled RenderDoc copy the python module into the same folder as the main renderdoc library. On windows this means copying out of the ``pymodules`` subdirectory, on linux this will likely be the case already. We do this to keep things simple, so the python module can load the library without needing to change ``PATH``.
 
diff --git a/docs/python_api/examples/renderdoc_intro.rst b/docs/python_api/examples/renderdoc_intro.rst
index 3895748c2..0c8791bfb 100644
--- a/docs/python_api/examples/renderdoc_intro.rst
+++ b/docs/python_api/examples/renderdoc_intro.rst
@@ -14,7 +14,13 @@ For this section we assume you have built a copy of RenderDoc and have the modul
 
 .. note::
 
-  You must use exactly the same version of python to load the module as was used to build it. On Windows the version of python that comes with the repository and is used by default is python 3.6. This can be overridden at build time by setting the environment variable `RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX32` or `RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX64` to the path of a compatible python install. NOTE that the embedded zip distribution doesn't come with python38.lib which is necessary, so you must regenerate it or get it from the installed python. The installed python folder doesn't come with a python38.zip standard library bundle which you'd need to create or get from the embedded zip distribution.
+  You must use exactly the same version of python to load the module as was used to build it.
+
+  On windows by default RenderDoc builds against python 3.6 which is what it's distributed with.
+  
+  This can be overridden by setting an overridden path under the ``Python Configuration`` section in the properties of the ``qrenderdoc`` project. It must point to a python installation.
+  
+  RenderDoc requires pythonXY.lib, include files such as include/Python.h, as well as a .zip of the standard library. If you installed python with an installer you have the first two, and can generate the standard library zip by zipping the contents of the Lib folder. If you downloaded the embeddable zip distribution you will only have the standard library zip, you need to obtain the include files and ``.lib`` file separately.
 
 Once you have the module, either place the module within your python's default library search path, or else insert the location of the python module into the path in your script. You can either set the ``PYTHONPATH`` environment variable or do it at the start of your script:
 
diff --git a/docs/python_api/index.rst b/docs/python_api/index.rst
index 754340eb4..6411ca8be 100644
--- a/docs/python_api/index.rst
+++ b/docs/python_api/index.rst
@@ -14,7 +14,13 @@ It is also possible to build the ``renderdoc`` module standalone which can be lo
 
     Due to Android being inherently an unstable and unreliable platform, using the python scripting on Android devices is not recommended or supported. It may work, but you'll be on your own with any problems encountered as they are too likely to be caused by problems on Android.
 
-You must use exactly the same version of python to load the module as was used to build it. On Windows the version of python that comes with the repository and is used by default is python 3.6. This can be overridden at build time by setting the environment variable `RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX32` or `RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX64` to the path of a compatible python install. NOTE that the embedded zip distribution doesn't come with python38.lib which is necessary, so you must regenerate it or get it from the installed python. The installed python folder doesn't come with a python38.zip standard library bundle which you'd need to create or get from the embedded zip distribution.
+You must use exactly the same version of python to load the module as was used to build it.
+
+On windows by default RenderDoc builds against python 3.6 which is what it's distributed with.
+
+This can be overridden by setting an overridden path under the ``Python Configuration`` section in the properties of the ``qrenderdoc`` project. It must point to a python installation.
+
+RenderDoc requires pythonXY.lib, include files such as include/Python.h, as well as a .zip of the standard library. If you installed python with an installer you have the first two, and can generate the standard library zip by zipping the contents of the Lib folder. If you downloaded the embeddable zip distribution you will only have the standard library zip, you need to obtain the include files and ``.lib`` file separately.
 
 .. note::
 
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python.props b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python.props
index f086d97ec..6b3df8c76 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python.props
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python.props
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@
      uses the Lib/ folder with all the loose uncompiled library source).
      It will need to be generated manually or obtained from the embeddable zip.
      As a result we use the existance of the .lib, .h and .zip as a key to
-     ensure we only use -->
+     ensure we only use a valid install -->
+
+<!-- We want to keep supporting the old environment variable path for compatibility
+     but encourage users to use the new property page method. So we check for that first
+     to determine PythonOverride, and only fall back to env vars if it's not set. -->
 
 <!-- MSBuild doesn't implement a simple loop so just do this by hand by
      taking advantage of MSBuild evaluating these in-order.
@@ -38,8 +42,9 @@
 
 <!-- first define the override prefix we're searching against -->
 <PropertyGroup>
-	<PythonOverride Condition="'$(Platform)'=='Win32'">$(RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX32)</PythonOverride>
-	<PythonOverride Condition="'$(Platform)'=='x64'">$(RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX64)</PythonOverride>
+	<PythonOverride>$(VSPythonOverridePath)</PythonOverride>
+	<PythonOverride Condition="'$(VSPythonOverridePath)'=='' AND '$(Platform)'=='Win32'">$(RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX32)</PythonOverride>
+	<PythonOverride Condition="'$(VSPythonOverridePath)'=='' AND '$(Platform)'=='x64'">$(RENDERDOC_PYTHON_PREFIX64)</PythonOverride>
 </PropertyGroup>
 
 <PropertyGroup><PythonMajorMinorTest>312</PythonMajorMinorTest></PropertyGroup>
@@ -90,4 +95,9 @@
 	<Message Importance="high" Text="Built against python from $(PythonOverride)" />
 </Target>
 
+<Target Name="PythonFailedOverridden" AfterTargets="Build" Condition="'$(CustomPythonUsed)'=='0' AND $(PythonOverride)!=''">
+	<Message Importance="high" Text="** Could not use python version $(PythonOverride) due to missing requirements." />
+	<Message Importance="high" Text="** Check for $(PythonOverride)\include\Python.h, $(PythonOverride)\pythonMAJMIN.zip, and either $(PythonOverride)\pythonMAJMIN.lib or $(PythonOverride)\libs\pythonMAJMIN.lib" />
+</Target>
+
 </Project>
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python_sheet.xml b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python_sheet.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b578b98e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python_sheet.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<ProjectSchemaDefinitions xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/build/2009/properties" xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" xmlns:sys="clr-namespace:System;assembly=mscorlib">
+
+  <Rule Name="python_sheet"
+        DisplayName="Python Configuration"
+        PageTemplate="generic"
+        Description="Configuring where the python install is obtained from"
+        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/build/2009/properties">
+    
+    <Rule.Categories>
+      <Category Name="Build" DisplayName="Build" />
+    </Rule.Categories>
+    
+    <Rule.DataSource>
+      <DataSource Persistence="UserFile" HasConfigurationCondition="true" />
+    </Rule.DataSource>
+
+		<StringProperty Name="VSPythonOverridePath" DisplayName="Custom Python Path" Description="Path to a custom python install. Requires python headers, lib, dll, and standard library zip." Category="Build" IncludeInCommandLine="false">
+			<StringProperty.ValueEditors>
+				<ValueEditor EditorType="DefaultStringPropertyEditor" DisplayName="&lt;Edit...&gt;"/>
+				<ValueEditor EditorType="DefaultFolderPropertyEditor" DisplayName="&lt;Browse...&gt;"/>
+			</StringProperty.ValueEditors>
+		</StringProperty>
+	</Rule>
+</ProjectSchemaDefinitions>
+
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/qrenderdoc_local.vcxproj b/qrenderdoc/qrenderdoc_local.vcxproj
index 6c4a83a92..7a7927d60 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/qrenderdoc_local.vcxproj
+++ b/qrenderdoc/qrenderdoc_local.vcxproj
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
   </PropertyGroup>
   <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\util\WindowsSDKTarget.props" />
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" />
-  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\qrenderdoc\Code\pyrenderdoc\python.props" />
   <PropertyGroup>
     <PlatformToolSet>v140</PlatformToolSet>
     <OutputDirectory>$(SolutionDir)$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\</OutputDirectory>
@@ -2057,4 +2056,11 @@
   </ItemGroup>
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets" />
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <ProjectTools Include="python_sheet" />
+    <PropertyPageSchema Include="Code/pyrenderdoc/python_sheet.xml">
+      <Context>Project</Context>
+    </PropertyPageSchema>
+  </ItemGroup>
+  <Import Project="$(SolutionDir)\qrenderdoc\Code\pyrenderdoc\python.props" />
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file