diff --git a/rsyslog.spec b/rsyslog.spec
index dee5c21..03db94a 100644
--- a/rsyslog.spec
+++ b/rsyslog.spec
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 %define rsyslog_statedir %{_sharedstatedir}/rsyslog
 %define rsyslog_pkidir %{_sysconfdir}/pki/rsyslog
 %define rsyslog_docdir %{_docdir}/rsyslog
+%define qpid_proton_v 0.39.0
 
 Summary: Enhanced system logging and kernel message trapping daemon
 Name: rsyslog
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ Source4: rsyslog.log
 Source5: rsyslog.service
 # Add qpid-proton as another source, enable omamqp1 module in a
 # separatae sub-package with it statically linked(see rhbz#1713427)
-Source6: qpid-proton-0.39.0.tar.gz
+Source6: https://archive.apache.org/dist/qpid/proton/%{qpid_proton_v}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}.tar.gz
 Source7: rsyslog-tmpfiles.conf
 
 Patch0: openssl-disable-engines.patch
@@ -276,19 +277,18 @@ export CFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS -fpic"
 %endif
 # build the proton first
 (
-	cd %{_builddir}/qpid-proton-0.39.0
+	cd %{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}
 	mkdir bld
 	cd bld
 
 	# Need ENABLE_FUZZ_TESTING=NO to avoid a link failure
-	# Find python include dir and python library from
-	# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/24174394/cmake-is-not-able-to-find-python-libraries
+	# Modern approach for Python discovery in CMake
 	cmake .. \
 		-DBUILD_BINDINGS="" \
 		-DBUILD_STATIC_LIBS=YES \
 		-DENABLE_FUZZ_TESTING=NO \
-		-DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR=$(python3 -c "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_inc; print(get_python_inc())")  \
-		-DPYTHON_LIBRARY=$(python3 -c "import distutils.sysconfig as sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBDIR'))") \
+		-DPython_FIND_STRATEGY=LOCATION \
+		-DPython_ROOT_DIR=/usr \
 		-DCMAKE_AR="/usr/bin/gcc-ar" -DCMAKE_NM="/usr/bin/gcc-nm" -DCMAKE_RANLIB="/usr/bin/gcc-ranlib"
 	make -j8
 )
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ autoreconf -if
 	--prefix=/usr \
 	--disable-static \
 	--disable-testbench \
-	--enable-omamqp1 PROTON_LIBS="%{_builddir}/qpid-proton-0.39.0/bld/c/libqpid-proton-core-static.a %{_builddir}/qpid-proton-0.39.0/bld/c/libqpid-proton-proactor-static.a %{_builddir}/qpid-proton-0.39.0/bld/c/libqpid-proton-static.a -lssl -lsasl2 -lcrypto" PROTON_CFLAGS="-I%{_builddir}/qpid-proton-0.39.0/bld/c/include" \
+	--enable-omamqp1 PROTON_PROACTOR_LIBS="%{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/bld/c/libqpid-proton-core-static.a %{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/bld/c/libqpid-proton-proactor-static.a %{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/bld/c/libqpid-proton-static.a -lssl -lsasl2 -lcrypto" PROTON_PROACTOR_CFLAGS="-I%{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/c/include -I%{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/bld/c/include" PROTON_LIBS="%{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/bld/c/libqpid-proton-core-static.a %{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/bld/c/libqpid-proton-proactor-static.a %{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/bld/c/libqpid-proton-static.a -lssl -lsasl2 -lcrypto" PROTON_CFLAGS="-I%{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/c/include -I%{_builddir}/qpid-proton-%{qpid_proton_v}/bld/c/include" \
 	--enable-elasticsearch \
 	--enable-generate-man-pages \
 	--enable-gnutls \