diff --git a/python/gtsam/__init__.py b/python/gtsam/__init__.py
index 2e95ea33a..2d7ac72f7 100644
--- a/python/gtsam/__init__.py
+++ b/python/gtsam/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-from gtsampy import *
+from _gtsampy import *
diff --git a/python/handwritten/CMakeLists.txt b/python/handwritten/CMakeLists.txt
index fd022dd17..689354b4e 100644
--- a/python/handwritten/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/handwritten/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ endforeach()
 add_library(gtsam_python SHARED exportgtsam.cpp ${gtsam_python_srcs})
 string(TOUPPER "${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}" build_type_toupper)
 set_target_properties(gtsam_python PROPERTIES
-	OUTPUT_NAME                   gtsampy
+	OUTPUT_NAME                   _gtsampy
     PREFIX                        ""
     ${build_type_toupper}_POSTFIX ""
 	SKIP_BUILD_RPATH              TRUE
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ target_link_libraries(gtsam_python
 
 # Cause the library to be output in the correct directory.
 # TODO: Change below to work on different systems (currently works only with Linux)
-set(output_path ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/../gtsam/_libgtsam_python.so)
+set(output_path ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/../gtsam/_gtsampy.so)
 add_custom_command(
 	OUTPUT ${output_path}
 	DEPENDS gtsam_python
 	COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy $<TARGET_FILE:gtsam_python> ${output_path}
-	COMMENT "Copying extension module to python/gtsam/_libgtsam_python.so"
+	COMMENT "Copying extension module to python/gtsam/_gtsampy.so"
 )
 add_custom_target(copy_gtsam_python_module ALL DEPENDS ${output_path})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/handwritten/exportgtsam.cpp b/python/handwritten/exportgtsam.cpp
index 94dc10e56..8fa7e0fdd 100644
--- a/python/handwritten/exportgtsam.cpp
+++ b/python/handwritten/exportgtsam.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ void registerNumpyEigenConversions();
 
 //-----------------------------------//
 
-BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(gtsampy){
+BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(_gtsampy){
 
   // NOTE: We need to call import_array1() instead of import_array() to support both python 2
   //       and 3. The reason is that BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE puts all its contents in a function
diff --git a/python/setup.py.in b/python/setup.py.in
index d3b5fcde4..8b2de7352 100644
--- a/python/setup.py.in
+++ b/python/setup.py.in
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ setup(name='gtsam',
       package_dir={ '': '${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}' },
       packages=['gtsam', 'gtsam_utils', 'gtsam_examples', 'gtsam_tests'],
       #package_data={'gtsam' : ['_libgtsam_python.so']},  # location of .so file is relative to package_dir
-      data_files=[('${PY_INSTALL_FOLDER}/gtsam/', ['gtsam/_libgtsam_python.so'])],  # location of .so file relative to setup.py
+      data_files=[('${PY_INSTALL_FOLDER}/gtsam/', ['gtsam/_gtsampy.so'])],  # location of .so file relative to setup.py
      )