diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9cff135..f1cddc9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,7 +24,12 @@ This repository contains the source code for Zulip's PyPI packages:
 4. Run:
    ```
    ./tools/provision
-   source ./zulip-api-py2-venv/bin/activate
+   ```
+   This sets up a virtual Python environment in `zulip-api-py<your_python_version>-venv`,
+   where `<your_python_version>` is your default version of Python. If you would like to specify
+   a different Python version, run
+   ```
+   ./tools/provision -p <path_to_your_python_version>`
    ```
 
 5. You should now be able to run all the tests within this virtualenv.
diff --git a/tools/provision b/tools/provision
index be591ec..a36e671 100755
--- a/tools/provision
+++ b/tools/provision
@@ -1,15 +1,28 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 BASEDIR=$(dirname `dirname $0`)
-VENVDIR="zulip-api-py2-venv"
 VENVEXECDIR="bin"
+PYVERSION=$(python -V | grep -Po '(?<=Python ).+')
+PYCUSTOMPATH_ARG=""
+while getopts "hp:" arg; do
+    case "$arg" in
+        h)
+            echo "USAGE: $0 [-p <path_to_python_version>]"
+            exit
+            ;;
+        p)
+            PYCUSTOMPATH_ARG="-p $OPTARG"
+            PYVERSION=$("$OPTARG" "-V" 2>&1 | grep -Po '(?<=Python ).+')
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+VENVDIR="zulip-api-py$PYVERSION-venv"
 
 if [ ! -d "$BASEDIR/$VENVDIR" ]; then
-    virtualenv "$BASEDIR/$VENVDIR"
+    virtualenv $PYCUSTOMPATH_ARG "$BASEDIR/$VENVDIR"
     echo "Virtualenv created."
 fi
 
-VENVBINDIR="bin"
 if [[ ! -d "$BASEDIR/$VENVDIR/$VENVEXECDIR" ]]; then
     # POSIX compatibility layer and Linux environment emulation for Windows
     # Virtual uses /Scripts instead of /bin on Windows.