diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 5c49ee4da..4ba505b35 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -578,12 +578,6 @@ dnl Determine whether to install pytest.py or py3test.py to $(docdir)/examples
 AM_PYTHON_CHECK_VERSION([${PYTHON}], [3.0], [pyver_3="yes"], [pyver_3="no"])
 AM_CONDITIONAL([PYVER_3], [test x"${pyver_3}" = x"yes"])
 
-dnl Determine whether to link libpython as it is unneeded for Python >= 3.8
-AM_PYTHON_CHECK_VERSION([${PYTHON}], [3.8], [pyver_3_8="yes"], [pyver_3_8="no"])
-AS_IF([test x"${pyver_3_8}" = "xyes"],[
-    PYTHON_LIBS=""
-])
-
 # Tcl binding
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([Whether to build Tcl bindings])
 AC_ARG_WITH([tcl-binding],
diff --git a/src/rig.c b/src/rig.c
index 3340019f3..60e6edf9f 100644
--- a/src/rig.c
+++ b/src/rig.c
@@ -3571,7 +3571,7 @@ int HAMLIB_API rig_set_split_freq(RIG *rig, vfo_t vfo, freq_t tx_freq)
 
             if (retcode != RIG_OK) { RETURNFUNC(retcode); }
 
-#if 0 // this verification seems to be causing bad behavior on some reigs
+#if 0 // this verification seems to be causing bad behavior on some rigs
             retcode = rig_get_freq(rig, tx_vfo, &tfreq);
 #else
             tfreq = tx_freq;
@@ -3605,22 +3605,19 @@ int HAMLIB_API rig_set_split_freq(RIG *rig, vfo_t vfo, freq_t tx_freq)
 
     do
     {
-#if 0 // this verification seems to be causing bad behavior on some reigs
-
+	    // doing get_freq seems to break on some rigs that can't read freq immediately after set
         if (caps->set_split_freq)
         {
             retcode = caps->set_split_freq(rig, vfo, tx_freq);
-            rig_get_freq(rig, vfo, &tfreq);
+            //rig_get_freq(rig, vfo, &tfreq); 
         }
         else
         {
             retcode = rig_set_freq(rig, RIG_VFO_CURR, tx_freq);
-            rig_get_freq(rig, vfo, &tfreq);
+            //rig_get_freq(rig, vfo, &tfreq);
         }
 
-#else
         tfreq = tx_freq;
-#endif
     }
     while (tfreq != tx_freq && retry-- > 0 && retcode == RIG_OK);
 
@@ -4039,6 +4036,10 @@ int HAMLIB_API rig_set_split_freq_mode(RIG *rig,
 
     caps = rig->caps;
 
+    // in split mode we alwasy use VFOB
+    // in the future we may start using RIG_VFO_TX and let the backend figure out what VFO to use
+    vfo = RIG_VFO_B; // in split mode we always use VFOB
+    rig_debug(RIG_DEBUG_VERBOSE, "%s: vfo=%s, tx_freq=%.0f, tx_mode=%s, tx_width=%d\n", __func__, rig_strvfo(vfo), tx_freq, rig_strrmode(tx_mode), (int)tx_width);
 
     if (caps->set_split_freq_mode)
     {