diff --git a/code/unix/Makefile b/code/unix/Makefile
index 399c65ee..acee11af 100644
--- a/code/unix/Makefile
+++ b/code/unix/Makefile
@@ -54,8 +54,6 @@ BUILD_FREETYPE=0
 ##
 #############################################################################
 
-BASEQ3_DIR=$(BDIR)/baseq3
-
 BD=debug$(ARCH)$(GLIBC)
 BR=release$(ARCH)$(GLIBC)
 CDIR=$(MOUNT_DIR)/client
@@ -96,8 +94,8 @@ LIB=lib
 ifeq ($(PLATFORM),linux)
 
   GLIBC=-glibc
-  CC=gcc
-  CXX=g++
+  CC?=gcc
+  CXX?=g++
 
   RPMARCH=$(ARCH)
   ifeq ($(ARCH),alpha)
@@ -165,8 +163,9 @@ ifeq ($(PLATFORM),linux)
   SHLIBCFLAGS=-fPIC
   SHLIBLDFLAGS=-shared $(LDFLAGS)
 
-  ARFLAGS=ar rv
-  RANLIB=ranlib
+  AR?=ar
+  ARFLAGS=rv
+  RANLIB?=ranlib
 
   THREAD_LDFLAGS=-lpthread
   LDFLAGS=-ldl -lm
@@ -344,6 +343,10 @@ endif #Linux
 endif #FreeBSD
 endif #IRIX
 
+ifdef DEFAULT_BASEDIR
+BASE_CFLAGS += -DDEFAULT_BASEDIR=\\\"$(DEFAULT_BASEDIR)\\\"
+endif
+
 DO_CC=$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ -c $<
 DO_CXX=$(CXX) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ -c $<
 DO_SMP_CC=$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -DSMP -o $@ -c $<
diff --git a/code/unix/unix_main.c b/code/unix/unix_main.c
index 9e15e0eb..ebf4684c 100644
--- a/code/unix/unix_main.c
+++ b/code/unix/unix_main.c
@@ -1246,6 +1246,10 @@ void Sys_ParseArgs( int argc, char* argv[] ) {
   }
 }
 
+#ifndef DEFAULT_BASEDIR
+# define DEFAULT_BASEDIR Sys_Cwd()
+#endif
+
 #include "../client/client.h"
 extern clientStatic_t cls;
 
@@ -1266,6 +1270,8 @@ int main ( int argc, char* argv[] )
   strncat(cdpath, argv[0], sizeof(cdpath)-1);
   Sys_SetDefaultCDPath(dirname(cdpath));
 
+  Sys_SetDefaultInstallPath(DEFAULT_BASEDIR);
+
   // merge the command line, this is kinda silly
   for (len = 1, i = 1; i < argc; i++)
     len += strlen(argv[i]) + 1;