diff --git a/is_utf8/Makefile b/is_utf8/Makefile
index 4ebf8be..f0a111e 100644
--- a/is_utf8/Makefile
+++ b/is_utf8/Makefile
@@ -37,14 +37,14 @@ LINKERNAME = lib$(NAME).so
 SONAME = $(LINKERNAME).$(VERSION)
 REALNAME = $(SONAME).$(MINOR).$(RELEASE)
 
-CC = gcc
-CFLAGS = -O3 -Wextra -Wall -ansi -Wstrict-prototypes
+CC ?= gcc
+CFLAGS ?= -O3 -Wextra -Wall -ansi -Wstrict-prototypes
 
 $(NAME): $(OBJ)
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $(NAME) $(OBJ)
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $(NAME) $(OBJ) $(LDFLAGS)
 
 IS_UTF8_LIB:
-	$(CC) --shared -fPIC $(CFLAGS) $(LIB_SRC) -o $(LINKERNAME)
+	$(CC) --shared -fPIC $(CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(LIB_SRC) -o $(LINKERNAME)
 
 all:
 		@make $(NAME)