diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a1f7356a..d7018bdf 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1043,9 +1043,10 @@ if test "x$enable_editor" != "xno" && test "x$QMAKEBIN" != "x"; then
 
   echo "Configuring ${QTEDITOR} ..."
 
-  echo "Calling ${QMAKEBIN} PREFIX=${INSTALLDIR} ${QTEDITOR}.pro within the directory src/${QTEDITOR}"
+  echo "Changing directory to src/${QTEDITOR} and calling"
+  echo "${QMAKEBIN} CC=${CC} CXX=${CXX} PREFIX=${INSTALLDIR} ${QTEDITOR}.pro"
   cd src/${QTEDITOR}
-  ${QMAKEBIN} PREFIX=${INSTALLDIR} ${QTEDITOR}.pro
+  ${QMAKEBIN} CC=${CC} CXX=${CXX} PREFIX=${INSTALLDIR} ${QTEDITOR}.pro
   cd ../..
 
 fi
diff --git a/src/musredit/musredit.pro b/src/musredit/musredit.pro
index 3503fe15..a89e1ec3 100644
--- a/src/musredit/musredit.pro
+++ b/src/musredit/musredit.pro
@@ -45,8 +45,17 @@ exists( /usr/bin/cygwin1.dll ) {
       QMAKE_LFLAGS_SHAPP = -Wl,--enable-auto-import
 }
 
-QMAKE_CC = gcc
-QMAKE_CXX = g++
+isEmpty( CC ) {
+    CC = gcc
+}
+
+isEmpty( CXX ) {
+    CXX = g++
+}
+
+QMAKE_CC = $${CC}
+QMAKE_CXX = $${CXX}
+QMAKE_LINK = $${CXX}
 
 # install path for the XML configuration file
 unix:xml.path = $${MUSREDIT_INSTALL_PATH}
diff --git a/src/musrgui/musrgui.pro b/src/musrgui/musrgui.pro
index 24bf6ed0..3e98cc8d 100644
--- a/src/musrgui/musrgui.pro
+++ b/src/musrgui/musrgui.pro
@@ -38,8 +38,18 @@ exists( /usr/bin/cygwin1.dll ) {
 }
 
 INSTALLS += target
-QMAKE_CC = gcc
-QMAKE_CXX = g++
+
+isEmpty( CC ) {
+    CC = gcc
+}
+
+isEmpty( CXX ) {
+    CXX = g++
+}
+
+QMAKE_CC = $${CC}
+QMAKE_CXX = $${CXX}
+QMAKE_LINK = $${CXX}
 
 # install path for the XML configuration file
 unix:xml.path = $${MUSRGUI_INSTALL_PATH}