diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ab4710b..20e73f6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,6 +11,23 @@
 #
 # Define DISABLE_ZLIB to disable support for the zlib wrapper format.
 #
+# Define PREFIX to override the installation prefix, like './configure --prefix'
+# in autotools-based projects (default: /usr/local)
+#
+# Define BINDIR to override where to install binaries, like './configure
+# --bindir' in autotools-based projects (default: PREFIX/bin)
+#
+# Define INCDIR to override where to install headers, like './configure
+# --includedir' in autotools-based projects (default: PREFIX/include)
+#
+# Define LIBDIR to override where to install libraries, like './configure
+# --libdir' in autotools-based projects (default: PREFIX/lib)
+#
+# Define DESTDIR to override the installation destination directory
+# (default: empty string)
+#
+# You can also specify custom CFLAGS, CPPFLAGS, and/or LDFLAGS.
+#
 ##############################################################################
 
 #### Common compiler flags.  You can add additional flags by defining CFLAGS
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 53811a0..b3e12de 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,8 +33,11 @@ By default, the following targets are built: the static library `libdeflate.a`,
 the shared library `libdeflate.so`, the `gzip` program, and the `gunzip` program
 (which is actually just a hard link to `gzip`).  Benchmarking and test programs
 such as `benchmark` are not built by default.  You can run `make help` to
-display the available build targets.  There are also several options which can
-be set on the `make` command line; see the Makefile for details.
+display the available build targets.
+
+There are also many options which can be set on the `make` command line, e.g. to
+omit library features or to customize the directories into which `make install`
+installs files.  See the Makefile for details.
 
 ## For Windows