diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9754ddf..b5512de 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,16 +15,16 @@
 SHELL=/bin/sh

 # To assist in cross-compiling
-CC=gcc
-AR=ar
-RANLIB=ranlib
-LDFLAGS=
+CC?=gcc
+AR?=ar
+RANLIB?=ranlib

 BIGFILES=-D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
-CFLAGS=-Wall -Winline -O2 -g $(BIGFILES)
+CFLAGS?=-Wall -Winline -O2 -g
+CFLAGS=$(CFLAGS) $(BIGFILES)

 # Where you want it installed when you do 'make install'
-PREFIX=/usr/local
+PREFIX=$PREFIX


 OBJS= blocksort.o  \
diff --git a/Makefile-libbz2_so b/Makefile-libbz2_so
index e58791b..f4b9fa2 100644
--- a/Makefile-libbz2_so
+++ b/Makefile-libbz2_so
@@ -22,9 +22,18 @@


 SHELL=/bin/sh
-CC=gcc
+
+# To assist in cross-compiling
+CC?=gcc
+AR?=ar
+RANLIB?=ranlib
+
 BIGFILES=-D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64
-CFLAGS=-fpic -fPIC -Wall -Winline -O2 -g $(BIGFILES)
+CFLAGS?=-Wall -Winline -O2 -g
+CFLAGS=$(CFLAGS) $(BIGFILES)
+
+# Where you want it installed when you do 'make install'
+PREFIX=$PREFIX

 OBJS= blocksort.o  \
       huffman.o    \