diff --git a/make/defs-cpp.mk b/make/defs-cpp.mk
index f7789892..7a45d1b1 100644
--- a/make/defs-cpp.mk
+++ b/make/defs-cpp.mk
@@ -172,7 +172,6 @@ ifeq ($(COMPILER_SUITE),gcc)
 
   GCC                       ?= $(TC_BIN_PREFIX)gcc
   GXX                       ?= $(TC_BIN_PREFIX)g++
-  CXX                       ?= $(GXX)
   GNU_LD                    ?= $(TC_BIN_PREFIX)ld
   CLANG                     ?= $(TC_BIN_PREFIX)clang
   CLANGPP                   ?= $(TC_BIN_PREFIX)clang++
@@ -199,9 +198,9 @@ ifeq ($(COMPILER_SUITE),gcc)
   #GNU_LD_MINOR             := $(word 2,$(GNU_LD_VERSION_NUMBERS))
   #GNU_LD_REV               := $(word 3,$(GNU_LD_VERSION_NUMBERS))
 
-  CC                         = $(GCC)
-  CXX                        = $(GXX)
-  LD                         = $(GXX)
+  CC                        ?= $(GCC)
+  CXX                       ?= $(GXX)
+  LD                        ?= $(GXX)
 
   BUILD_CXXFLAGS            += -std=c++$(CPP_STANDARD_VERSION)
   BUILD_CFLAGS              += -std=gnu$(C_STANDARD_VERSION)