diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 56b4426f8..b947c1198 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -21,6 +21,17 @@ ifeq ($(BUILD_RELAPACK), 1)
 RELA = re_lapack
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(NO_FORTRAN), 1)
+define NOFORTRAN
+1
+endef
+define NO_LAPACK
+1
+endef
+export NOFORTRAN
+export NO_LAPACK
+endif
+
 LAPACK_NOOPT := $(filter-out -O0 -O1 -O2 -O3 -Ofast,$(LAPACK_FFLAGS))
 
 SUBDIRS_ALL = $(SUBDIRS) test ctest utest exports benchmark ../laswp ../bench
@@ -47,7 +58,7 @@ endif
 endif
 
 	@echo "  C compiler       ... $(C_COMPILER)  (command line : $(CC))"
-ifndef NOFORTRAN
+ifeq ($(NOFORTRAN), $(filter 0,$(NOFORTRAN)))
 	@echo "  Fortran compiler ... $(F_COMPILER)  (command line : $(FC))"
 endif
 ifneq ($(OSNAME), AIX)
@@ -108,7 +119,7 @@ endif
 endif
 
 tests :
-ifndef NOFORTRAN
+ifeq ($(NOFORTRAN), $(filter 0,$(NOFORTRAN)))
 	touch $(LIBNAME)
 ifndef NO_FBLAS
 	$(MAKE) -C test all
@@ -210,7 +221,7 @@ netlib :
 
 else
 netlib : lapack_prebuild
-ifndef NOFORTRAN
+ifeq ($(NOFORTRAN), $(filter 0,$(NOFORTRAN)))
 	@$(MAKE) -C $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR) lapacklib
 	@$(MAKE) -C $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR) tmglib
 endif
@@ -231,7 +242,7 @@ prof_lapack : lapack_prebuild
 	@$(MAKE) -C $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR) lapack_prof
 
 lapack_prebuild :
-ifndef NOFORTRAN
+ifeq ($(NOFORTRAN), $(filter 0,$(NOFORTRAN)))
 	-@echo "FORTRAN     = $(FC)" > $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
 	-@echo "OPTS        = $(LAPACK_FFLAGS)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
 	-@echo "POPTS       = $(LAPACK_FPFLAGS)" >> $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/make.inc
@@ -274,21 +285,21 @@ endif
 endif
 
 large.tgz :
-ifndef NOFORTRAN
+ifeq ($(NOFORTRAN), $(filter 0,$(NOFORTRAN)))
 	if [ ! -a $< ]; then
 	-wget http://www.netlib.org/lapack/timing/large.tgz;
 	fi
 endif
 
 timing.tgz :
-ifndef NOFORTRAN
+ifeq ($(NOFORTRAN), $(filter 0,$(NOFORTRAN)))
 	if [ ! -a $< ]; then
 	-wget http://www.netlib.org/lapack/timing/timing.tgz;
 	fi
 endif
 
 lapack-timing : large.tgz timing.tgz
-ifndef NOFORTRAN
+ifeq ($(NOFORTRAN), $(filter 0,$(NOFORTRAN)))
 	(cd $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR); $(TAR) zxf ../timing.tgz TIMING)
 	(cd $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/TIMING; $(TAR) zxf ../../large.tgz )
 	$(MAKE) -C $(NETLIB_LAPACK_DIR)/TIMING