diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index 23e61e71..0fe77760 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ install:
 
 before_build:
   - cmd: git submodule update --init
+  - cmd: python scripts\compile_python_resources.py
 
 # Build config
 build_script:
diff --git a/scripts/compile_python_resources.py b/scripts/compile_python_resources.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7c05c17e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/compile_python_resources.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import compileall
+import os
+
+root = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), os.pardir))
+compileall.compile_dir(os.path.join(root, 'src', 'python'), legacy=True, optimize=2)
+with open(os.path.join(root, 'src', 'resources.qrc'), 'r+b') as f:
+    data = f.read()
+    data = data.replace(b'.py<', b'.pyc<')
+    f.seek(0)
+    f.write(data)
diff --git a/src/utils/JupyterConnection.cpp b/src/utils/JupyterConnection.cpp
index c2de55a0..e5fd0862 100644
--- a/src/utils/JupyterConnection.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/JupyterConnection.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifdef CUTTER_ENABLE_JUPYTER
 
 #include <Python.h>
+#include <marshal.h>
 
 #include <QJsonDocument>
 #include <QJsonArray>
@@ -85,13 +86,23 @@ void JupyterConnection::createCutterJupyterModule()
         PyEval_RestoreThread(pyThreadState);
     }
 
-    QFile moduleFile(":/python/cutter_jupyter.py");
+    QFile moduleFile(":/python/cutter_jupyter.pyc");
+    bool isBytecode = moduleFile.exists();
+    if (!isBytecode) {
+        moduleFile.setFileName(":/python/cutter_jupyter.py");
+    }
     moduleFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly);
     QByteArray moduleCode = moduleFile.readAll();
     moduleFile.close();
 
-    auto moduleCodeObject = Py_CompileString(moduleCode.constData(), "cutter_jupyter.py",
-                                             Py_file_input);
+    PyObject *moduleCodeObject;
+    if (isBytecode) {
+        moduleCodeObject = PyMarshal_ReadObjectFromString(moduleCode.constData() + 12,
+                                                          moduleCode.size() - 12);
+    } else {
+        moduleCodeObject = Py_CompileString(moduleCode.constData(), "cutter_jupyter.py",
+                                            Py_file_input);
+    }
     if (!moduleCodeObject) {
         PyErr_Print();
         qWarning() << "Could not compile cutter_jupyter.";
diff --git a/src/utils/NestedIPyKernel.cpp b/src/utils/NestedIPyKernel.cpp
index 496fd9a1..f72dbffb 100644
--- a/src/utils/NestedIPyKernel.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/NestedIPyKernel.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #ifdef CUTTER_ENABLE_JUPYTER
 
 #include <Python.h>
+#include <marshal.h>
 
 #include <QFile>
 #include <csignal>
@@ -19,13 +20,23 @@ NestedIPyKernel *NestedIPyKernel::start(const QStringList &argv)
         return nullptr;
     }
 
-    QFile moduleFile(":/python/cutter_ipykernel.py");
+    QFile moduleFile(":/python/cutter_ipykernel.pyc");
+    bool isBytecode = moduleFile.exists();
+    if (!isBytecode) {
+        moduleFile.setFileName(":/python/cutter_ipykernel.py");
+    }
     moduleFile.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly);
     QByteArray moduleCode = moduleFile.readAll();
     moduleFile.close();
 
-    auto moduleCodeObject = Py_CompileString(moduleCode.constData(), "cutter_ipykernel.py",
-                                             Py_file_input);
+    PyObject *moduleCodeObject;
+    if (isBytecode) {
+        moduleCodeObject = PyMarshal_ReadObjectFromString(moduleCode.constData() + 12,
+                                                          moduleCode.size() - 12);
+    } else {
+        moduleCodeObject = Py_CompileString(moduleCode.constData(), "cutter_ipykernel.py",
+                                            Py_file_input);
+    }
     if (!moduleCodeObject) {
         qWarning() << "Could not compile cutter_ipykernel.";
         return nullptr;