diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index e60da42bf..bea6716e9 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 /*.sh  recipes
 
 # vpython specs
+/.vpython*      recipes
 /gsutil.vpython recipes
 
 # Extensionless tools we want and support scripts.
diff --git a/.vpython b/.vpython
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..398aab95f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.vpython
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+python_version: "2.7"
diff --git a/git_cl.py b/git_cl.py
index 378744b37..4aa2275b9 100755
--- a/git_cl.py
+++ b/git_cl.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env vpython
 # Copyright (c) 2013 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
 # Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
 # found in the LICENSE file.
diff --git a/python_runner.sh b/python_runner.sh
index 2834d1409..51a5445d7 100755
--- a/python_runner.sh
+++ b/python_runner.sh
@@ -44,12 +44,16 @@ fi
 
 SCRIPT="${SCRIPT-${BASENAME//-/_}.py}"
 
+# Ensure that "depot_tools" is somewhere in PATH so this tool can be used
+# standalone, but allow other PATH manipulations to take priority.
+PATH=$PATH:$DEPOT_TOOLS
+
 if [[ $PYTHON_DIRECT = 1 ]]; then
   python.exe "$DEPOT_TOOLS\\$SCRIPT" "$@"
 else
   if [[ -e "$DEPOT_TOOLS/python.bat" && $OSTYPE = msys ]]; then
-    cmd.exe //c "$DEPOT_TOOLS\\python.bat" "$DEPOT_TOOLS\\$SCRIPT" "$@"
+    cmd.exe //c "$DEPOT_TOOLS\\vpython.bat" "$DEPOT_TOOLS\\$SCRIPT" "$@"
   else
-    exec "$DEPOT_TOOLS/$SCRIPT" "$@"
+    vpython "$DEPOT_TOOLS/$SCRIPT" "$@"
   fi
 fi