diff --git a/bench/Makefile b/bench/Makefile
index a661b60a..c0edbd6c 100644
--- a/bench/Makefile
+++ b/bench/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CXX	= g++
+CXX	?= g++
 CXXFLAGS	= -march=native -Wall -Wextra -pedantic -std=c++11 -pthread -Wl,--no-as-needed  -I../include 
 CXX_RELEASE_FLAGS = -O3 -flto
 
diff --git a/bench/Makefile.mingw b/bench/Makefile.mingw
index ffeaf596..ac5a5af7 100644
--- a/bench/Makefile.mingw
+++ b/bench/Makefile.mingw
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CXX	= g++
+CXX	?= g++
 CXXFLAGS	= -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x600 -march=native -Wall -Wextra -pedantic -std=c++11 -pthread -Wl,--no-as-needed  -I../include 
 CXX_RELEASE_FLAGS = -O3 -flto
 
diff --git a/example/Makefile b/example/Makefile
index 42795358..80e6bd3d 100644
--- a/example/Makefile
+++ b/example/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CXX	= g++
+CXX	?= g++
 CXXFLAGS	= -march=native -Wall -Wshadow -Wextra -pedantic -std=c++11 -pthread -Wl,--no-as-needed  -I../include 
 CXX_RELEASE_FLAGS = -O3 -flto
 CXX_DEBUG_FLAGS= -g 
diff --git a/example/Makefile.clang b/example/Makefile.clang
index 78488446..7efc4194 100644
--- a/example/Makefile.clang
+++ b/example/Makefile.clang
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CXX	= clang++
+CXX	?= clang++
 CXXFLAGS	= -march=native -Wall -Wextra -Wshadow -pedantic -std=c++11 -pthread -I../include
 CXX_RELEASE_FLAGS = -O2
 CXX_DEBUG_FLAGS= -g 
diff --git a/example/Makefile.mingw b/example/Makefile.mingw
index fc47241d..9057a9e4 100644
--- a/example/Makefile.mingw
+++ b/example/Makefile.mingw
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CXX	= g++
+CXX	?= g++
 CXXFLAGS	=  -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x600 -march=native -Wall -Wextra -Wshadow -pedantic -std=c++11 -pthread -Wl,--no-as-needed  -I../include 
 CXX_RELEASE_FLAGS = -O3 
 CXX_DEBUG_FLAGS= -g