diff --git a/make/defs.mk b/make/defs.mk
index ed950591..9a1883e8 100644
--- a/make/defs.mk
+++ b/make/defs.mk
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ DEVELOPMENT           ?= $(shell grep -q 'dev' $(TOPDIR)/VERSION && echo true)
 USE_PROJECT_LIB       ?= true
 USE_YTOOLS            ?= true
 REENTRANT             ?= true
+USE_GFILTER           ?= true
+
 export REENTRANT
 
 ifeq ($(DEVELOPMENT),true)
@@ -221,11 +223,6 @@ endif
 #       do a conditional include of timer headers, yet
 GENERATE_FUNC_TIMERS   = $(MODDIR)/YStopWatchThreadList/generate_func_timers.sh
 
-CPP                    = sh $(firstword $(wildcard $(MODDIR)/contrib/gfilt/gfilt $(MODDIR)/bin/gfilt))
-
-ifeq ($(strip $(CPP)),sh)
-	CPP            = g++
-endif
 RM                     = rm
 AR                     = ar
 
@@ -283,6 +280,15 @@ endif
 
 # ----- standard features, switched on with USE_XXX = true
 
+ifeq ($(USE_GFILTER),true)
+	CPP            = sh $(firstword $(wildcard $(MODDIR)/contrib/gfilt/gfilt $(MODDIR)/bin/gfilt))
+	ifeq ($(strip $(CPP)),sh)
+		CPP            = g++
+	endif
+else
+	CPP            = g++
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(USE_PROJECT_LIB),true)
 	PROJECTLIB_LDFLAGS    += -l$(LIBNAME) -L$(TOPDIR)/lib
 	LD_LIB_PATH           += $(TOPDIR)/lib