diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 07b1ceb5c..e8b0a91d3 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -232,6 +232,13 @@ jobs:
     environment:
       PIP_FLAGS: " "
 
+  el7:3.6:
+    <<: *centos-build
+    docker:
+      - image: igwn/base:el7
+    environment:
+      PIP_FLAGS: " "
+
   # -- deploy ---------------
 
   deploy:
@@ -309,6 +316,9 @@ workflows:
           filters:
             tags:
               only: /^v.*/
+      - el7:3.6:
+          requires:
+            - sdist
 
       # deploy
       - deploy:
diff --git a/ci/install-el.sh b/ci/install-el.sh
index c4ac02276..8904eb766 100644
--- a/ci/install-el.sh
+++ b/ci/install-el.sh
@@ -22,12 +22,24 @@
 
 # -- setup --------------------------------------
 
+# install basic build dependencies
+yum -y -q update
+
+yum -y -q install \
+    rpm-build \
+    yum-utils \
+    epel-rpm-macros
+
+# correct issue with missing tzdata files
+# https://listserv.fnal.gov/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1910&L=SCIENTIFIC-LINUX-USERS&P=21164
+yum -y -q reinstall tzdata
+
 # determine python prefix, even though we only install for python2
 
 if [[ "${PYTHON_VERSION}" == "2.7" ]]; then
     PY_PREFIX="python2"
 else
-    PY_PREFIX="python${PYTHON_VERSION/./}"
+    PY_PREFIX="python$(rpm --eval "%python3_pkgversion")"
 fi
 
 # -- build --------------------------------------
@@ -38,17 +50,6 @@ TARBALL="$(pwd)/gwpy-*.tar.*"
 mkdir build
 pushd build
 
-yum -y -q update
-
-# correct issue with missing tzdata files
-# https://listserv.fnal.gov/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1910&L=SCIENTIFIC-LINUX-USERS&P=21164
-yum -y -q reinstall tzdata
-
-# install basic build dependencies
-yum -y -q install \
-    rpm-build \
-    yum-utils
-
 # build src rpm
 SRPM=$(rpmbuild --define "_topdir ${TOPDIR}" -ts ${TARBALL} | cut -d\  -f2)
 
@@ -66,38 +67,28 @@ RPM="${TOPDIR}/RPMS/noarch/${PY_PREFIX}-gwpy-*.rpm"
 yum -y -q --nogpgcheck localinstall ${RPM}
 
 # -- extras -------------------------------------
-#
-# This is explicitly only set up for python2.7 on RHEL7
-#
 
 # install system-level extras
 yum -y -q install \
     which \
-    python2-pip \
-    python2-pytest \
-    python2-pytest-cov \
-    python2-mock \
-    python2-freezegun \
-    python-sqlparse \
-    python-beautifulsoup4 \
-    python-sqlalchemy \
-    python2-PyMySQL \
-    m2crypto \
-    glue \
-    dqsegdb \
-    python-psycopg2 \
-    python-pandas \
-    python2-root \
-    python2-nds2-client \
-    python2-ldas-tools-framecpp \
-    python2-lalframe \
-    python2-lalsimulation \
-    python-ligo-lw \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-beautifulsoup4 \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-dqsegdb \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-freezegun \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-glue \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-lalframe \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-lalsimulation \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-ligo-lw \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-m2crypto \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-nds2-client \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-pandas \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-pip \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-psycopg2 \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-PyMySQL \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-pytest \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-pytest-cov \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-root \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-sqlparse \
+    ${PY_PREFIX}-sqlalchemy \
     texlive-dvipng-bin texlive-latex-bin-bin \
-    texlive-type1cm texlive-collection-fontsrecommended
-
-# HACK: fix missing file from ldas-tools-framecpp
-if [ -d /usr/lib64/${PYTHON}/site-packages/LDAStools -a \
-     ! -f /usr/lib64/${PYTHON}/site-packages/LDAStools/__init__.py ]; then
-    touch /usr/lib64/${PYTHON}/site-packages/LDAStools/__init__.py
-fi
+    texlive-type1cm texlive-collection-fontsrecommended \
+;
diff --git a/etc/spec.template b/etc/spec.template
index daedb63ba..5c690e5c0 100644
--- a/etc/spec.template
+++ b/etc/spec.template
@@ -11,13 +11,18 @@ Summary:        {{ description }}
 
 License:        {{ license }}
 URL:            {{ url }}
-Source0:        https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/source/g/%{srcname}/%{srcname}-%{version}.tar.gz
+Source0:        %pypi_source
 
 BuildArch:      noarch
 BuildRequires:  rpm-build
 BuildRequires:  python-rpm-macros
+BuildRequires:  python-srpm-macros
 BuildRequires:  python2-rpm-macros
+BuildRequires:  python3-rpm-macros
+BuildRequires:  epel-rpm-macros
+
 BuildRequires:  python2-setuptools
+BuildRequires:  python%{python3_pkgversion}-setuptools
 
 %description
 {{ long_description }}
@@ -43,12 +48,34 @@ Requires:       python2-tqdm >= 4.10.0
 Requires:       python2-gwosc
 Requires:       python2-dqsegdb2
 Requires:       python2-gwdatafind
-
 %{?python_provide:%python_provide python2-%{srcname}}
 
 %description -n python2-%{srcname}
 {{ long_description }}
 
+# -- python3-gwpy -------------------------------------------------------------
+
+%package -n python%{python3_pkgversion}-%{srcname}
+Summary:        %{summary}
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-astropy >= 1.1.1
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-dateutil
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-dqsegdb2
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-gwdatafind
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-gwosc
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-h5py >= 1.3
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-lal >= 6.14.0
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-ldas-tools-framecpp >= 2.6.0
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-ligo-segments >= 1.0.0
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-matplotlib >= 1.2.0
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-numpy >= 1.7.1
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-scipy >= 0.12.1
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-six >= 1.5
+Requires:       python%{python3_pkgversion}-tqdm >= 4.10.0
+%{?python_provide:%python_provide python%{python3_pkgversion}-%{srcname}}
+
+%description -n python%{python3_pkgversion}-%{srcname}
+{{ long_description }}
+
 # -- build stages -------------------------------------------------------------
 
 %prep
@@ -56,8 +83,10 @@ Requires:       python2-gwdatafind
 
 %build
 %py2_build
+%py3_build
 
 %install
+%py3_install
 %py2_install
 
 # -- files --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -68,6 +97,11 @@ Requires:       python2-gwdatafind
 %{python2_sitelib}/*
 %{_bindir}/gwpy-plot
 
+%files -n python%{python3_pkgversion}-%{srcname}
+%license LICENSE
+%doc README.md
+%{python3_sitelib}/*
+
 # -- changelog ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 %changelog