diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 91454e6..38a722f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ DIST_SRC_TGZ = glew-$(GLEW_VERSION).tgz
 # To disable stripping of binaries either:
 #   - use STRIP= on gmake command-line
 #   - edit this makefile to set STRIP to the empty string
+#
+# To disable symlinks:
+#   - use LN= on gmake command-line
 
 AR      ?= ar
 INSTALL ?= install
@@ -104,8 +107,7 @@ endif
 
 lib/$(LIB.SHARED): $(LIB.SOBJS)
 	$(LD) $(LDFLAGS.SO) -o $@ $^ $(LIB.LDFLAGS) $(LIB.LIBS)
-ifeq ($(filter-out mingw% cygwin,$(SYSTEM)),)
-else
+ifneq ($(LN),)
 	$(LN) $(LIB.SHARED) lib/$(LIB.SONAME)
 	$(LN) $(LIB.SHARED) lib/$(LIB.DEVLNK)
 endif
@@ -141,8 +143,7 @@ lib/$(LIB.STATIC.MX): $(LIB.OBJS.MX)
 
 lib/$(LIB.SHARED.MX): $(LIB.SOBJS.MX)
 	$(LD) $(LDFLAGS.SO.MX) -o $@ $^ $(LIB.LDFLAGS) $(LIB.LIBS)
-ifeq ($(filter-out mingw% cygwin,$(SYSTEM)),)
-else
+ifneq ($(LN),)
 	$(LN) $(LIB.SHARED.MX) lib/$(LIB.SONAME.MX)
 	$(LN) $(LIB.SHARED.MX) lib/$(LIB.DEVLNK.MX)
 endif
@@ -224,12 +225,16 @@ ifeq ($(filter-out mingw% cygwin,$(SYSTEM)),)
 $(INSTALL) -m 0755 lib/$(LIB.SHARED) $(BINDIR)/
 else
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 lib/$(LIB.SHARED) $(LIBDIR)/
+endif
+ifneq ($(LN),)
 	$(LN) $(LIB.SHARED) $(LIBDIR)/$(LIB.SONAME)
 endif
+
 # development files
 ifeq ($(filter-out mingw% cygwin,$(SYSTEM)),)
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 lib/$(LIB.DEVLNK) $(LIBDIR)/
-else
+endif
+ifneq ($(LN),)
 	$(LN) $(LIB.SHARED) $(LIBDIR)/$(LIB.DEVLNK)
 endif
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 lib/$(LIB.STATIC) $(LIBDIR)/
@@ -242,12 +247,15 @@ ifeq ($(filter-out mingw% cygwin,$(SYSTEM)),)
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0755 lib/$(LIB.SHARED.MX) $(BINDIR)/
 else
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 lib/$(LIB.SHARED.MX) $(LIBDIR)/
+endif
+ifneq ($(LN),)
 	$(LN) $(LIB.SHARED.MX) $(LIBDIR)/$(LIB.SONAME.MX)
 endif
 # development files
 ifeq ($(filter-out mingw% cygwin,$(SYSTEM)),)
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 lib/$(LIB.DEVLNK.MX) $(LIBDIR)/
-else
+endif
+ifneq ($(LN),)
 	$(LN) $(LIB.SHARED.MX) $(LIBDIR)/$(LIB.DEVLNK.MX)
 endif
 	$(INSTALL) -m 0644 lib/$(LIB.STATIC.MX) $(LIBDIR)/
diff --git a/config/Makefile.cygming b/config/Makefile.cygming
index 6147717..1436c65 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.cygming
+++ b/config/Makefile.cygming
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ GLEW_DEST = /usr
 BINDIR = /usr/bin
 LIBDIR = /usr/lib/mingw
 INCDIR = /usr/include/mingw/GL
-CC = gcc -mno-cygwin
 # use gcc for linking, with ld it does not work
-LD = gcc -mno-cygwin
+CC := gcc -mno-cygwin
+LD := gcc -mno-cygwin
+LN :=
 CFLAGS.SO = -DGLEW_BUILD
 LDFLAGS.GL = -lglu32 -lopengl32 -lgdi32 -luser32 -lkernel32
 LDFLAGS.EXTRA = -L$(LIBDIR)
diff --git a/config/Makefile.cygwin b/config/Makefile.cygwin
index 8280bf2..49d4763 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.cygwin
+++ b/config/Makefile.cygwin
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 NAME = GLEW
 GLEW_DEST ?= /usr
-CC = cc
 # use gcc for linking, with ld it does not work
-LD = cc
+CC := cc
+LD := cc
+LN :=
 LDFLAGS.EXTRA =
 LIBDIR = $(GLEW_DEST)/lib
 LDFLAGS.GL = -lXmu -lXi -lGLU -lGL -lXext -lX11
diff --git a/config/Makefile.linux-mingw32 b/config/Makefile.linux-mingw32
index ead1ff4..386658d 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.linux-mingw32
+++ b/config/Makefile.linux-mingw32
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@
 # $ make SYSTEM=linux-mingw32
 #
 
-NAME = glew32
-CC = i586-mingw32msvc-gcc
-LD = i586-mingw32msvc-ld
+NAME  := glew32
+CC    := i586-mingw32msvc-gcc
+LD    := i586-mingw32msvc-ld
+LN    :=
+STRIP :=
 CFLAGS.SO = -DGLEW_BUILD
 LDFLAGS.GL = -lglu32 -lopengl32 -lgdi32 -luser32 -lkernel32
 WARN = -Wall -W
diff --git a/config/Makefile.linux-mingw64 b/config/Makefile.linux-mingw64
index f32a882..d14f23d 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.linux-mingw64
+++ b/config/Makefile.linux-mingw64
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@
 # $ make SYSTEM=linux-mingw64
 #
 
-NAME = glew32
-CC = amd64-mingw32msvc-gcc
-LD = amd64-mingw32msvc-ld
+NAME  := glew32
+CC    := amd64-mingw32msvc-gcc
+LD    := amd64-mingw32msvc-ld
+LN    :=
+STRIP :=
 CFLAGS.SO = -DGLEW_BUILD
 LDFLAGS.GL = -lglu32 -lopengl32 -lgdi32 -luser32 -lkernel32
 WARN = -Wall -W
diff --git a/config/Makefile.mingw b/config/Makefile.mingw
index 1fbf3f6..e04e00d 100644
--- a/config/Makefile.mingw
+++ b/config/Makefile.mingw
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 NAME = glew32
-CC = gcc
 # use gcc for linking, with ld it does not work
-LD = gcc
+CC := gcc
+LD := gcc
+LN :=
 CFLAGS.SO = -DGLEW_BUILD
 LDFLAGS.GL = -lglu32 -lopengl32 -lgdi32 -luser32 -lkernel32
 LDFLAGS.EXTRA = -L/mingw/lib