diff --git a/make/defs-cpp.mk b/make/defs-cpp.mk
index 92a20b84..dcde0982 100644
--- a/make/defs-cpp.mk
+++ b/make/defs-cpp.mk
@@ -201,9 +201,9 @@ 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)
 
   FINAL_CXXFLAGS            += -std=c++$(CPP_STANDARD_VERSION)
   FINAL_CFLAGS              += -std=gnu$(C_STANDARD_VERSION)
diff --git a/make/make.mk b/make/make.mk
index d7585c9d..f53ebf98 100644
--- a/make/make.mk
+++ b/make/make.mk
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/defs-dirs.mk
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/dev-utils.mk
 
 CACHED_FILES                ?= $(VERSION_FILE) $(wildcard $(TOPDIR)/make/project.conf)
-CACHED_VARS                 ?= PROJECT PREREQ VERSION HEX_VERSION FULL_NAME
+CACHED_VARS                 ?= PROJECT PREREQ VERSION HEX_VERSION FULL_NAME \
+				WHICH PYTHON ECHO TEST BROWSER SED RM PWD ID CUT TR \
+				AWK GETENT XARGS FIND PRINTF HOST_TUPLE OS_NAME_VERSION \
+				OS_NAME CAT BIN_INSTALL SUDO
 
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/cache.mk