diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a65bed0..713a7ab 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ LIBOBJECTS= \
 	stringptr.o
 
 
-CC = gcc
+CC ?= gcc
 #CFLAGS= -g -ansi-strict -W -Wall -DUSE_WEIGHTED_LINKS -DUSE_PROJECT_HEADER -I.
-CFLAGS= -g -DUSE_WEIGHTED_LINKS -DUSE_PROJECT_HEADER -I.
+OPT_CFLAGS = -g
+CFLAGS= $(OPT_CFLAGS) -DUSE_WEIGHTED_LINKS -DUSE_PROJECT_HEADER -I.
 # -I$(HOME)/lib/include
 # -DREPORT_MAX_ALLOC
 
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ liblpo.a: $(LIBOBJECTS)
 
 # NB: LIBRARY MUST FOLLOW OBJECTS OR LINK FAILS WITH UNRESOLVED REFERENCES!!
 poa: $(OBJECTS) liblpo.a
-	$(CC) -o $@ $(OBJECTS) -lm liblpo.a
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(OBJECTS) -lm liblpo.a
 
 what:
 	@echo poa: partial-order based sequence alignment program