diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5155fb034..79f5bcb90 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ CPP_GEN = ${SOURCE_ROOT}/tools/cpp_gen.sh
 SYSCALL_ID_GEN_PATH = ${SOURCE_ROOT}/tools/syscall_header_gen.py
 INVOCATION_ID_GEN_PATH = ${SOURCE_ROOT}/tools/invocation_header_gen.py
 XMLLINT = xmllint.sh
-CIRCULAR_INCLUDES = ${SOURCE_ROOT}/tools/circular_includes.pl
+CIRCULAR_INCLUDES = ${SOURCE_ROOT}/tools/circular_includes.py
 
 ########################################
 ## Check tools
diff --git a/tools/circular_includes.pl b/tools/circular_includes.pl
deleted file mode 100755
index 3a37a4381..000000000
--- a/tools/circular_includes.pl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/perl -w
-
-@file_stack=();
-
-while (<>) {
-    $input=$_;
-    if ($input =~ /^# 1 "kernel_all.c"/) {
-    } elsif ($input =~ /^# 1 "(.*\..)"/) {
-        # Found a new header
-        $header = $1;
-        foreach $item (@file_stack) {
-            if ($item eq $header) {
-                print "Circular includes found:\n";
-                map { print "$_\n" } @file_stack;
-                print "$header\n";
-                exit -1;
-            }
-        }
-        push @file_stack, $header;
-    } elsif ($input =~ /^# \d+ "(.*\..)"/) {
-        # Have popped back up to an earlier header
-        $header = $1;
-        while ($file_stack[$#file_stack] ne $header) {
-            pop @file_stack;
-        }
-    }
-}
-exit 0;
diff --git a/tools/circular_includes.py b/tools/circular_includes.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..691310fe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/circular_includes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+"""
+Script for reporting circular #includes in pre-processed sel4 source.
+Exits with a status of 0 if no circular dependencies are found, otherwise
+prints circular dependency and exits with a status of -1.
+"""
+
+import sys
+import re
+
+def main():
+    """
+    Reads pre-processed sel4 source from standard input.
+    If a circular dependency is found, the chain of includes
+    resulting in the loop is printed out.
+    """
+
+    kernel_all_re = re.compile(r'^# 1 "kernel_all\.c"')
+    header_re = re.compile(r'^# (\d+) "(.*\..)"')
+
+    file_stack = []
+
+    for line in sys.stdin:
+
+        if kernel_all_re.match(line):
+            continue
+
+        match = header_re.match(line)
+
+        if match is None:
+            continue
+
+        depth = int(match.group(1))
+        header = match.group(2)
+
+        if depth == 1:
+            # found a new header
+            if header in file_stack:
+                print("Circular includes found:")
+                print("\n".join(file_stack))
+                print(header)
+                return -1
+            else:
+                file_stack.append(header)
+        else:
+            # popped back up to an earlier header
+            while file_stack[-1] != header:
+                file_stack.pop()
+
+    return 0
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+    if len(sys.argv) != 1:
+        print("Usage: %s < path/to/kernel_all.c_pp" % sys.argv[0])
+        print(__doc__)
+        sys.exit(-1)
+
+    sys.exit(main())