diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 0c07d77e..9ec7ca2e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -228,7 +228,11 @@ NO_UNDEFINED =
 MAYBE_CORE =
 endif
 
-GENERIC_LDFLAGS = -version-info $(VERSION_INFO) $(RELEASE) $(NO_UNDEFINED)
+AM_CFLAGS = $(LIBEVENT_CFLAGS)
+AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/compat -I$(srcdir)/include -I./include $(SYS_INCLUDES) $(LIBEVENT_CPPFLAGS)
+AM_LDFLAGS = $(LIBEVENT_LDFLAGS)
+
+GENERIC_LDFLAGS = -version-info $(VERSION_INFO) $(RELEASE) $(NO_UNDEFINED) $(AM_LDFLAGS)
 
 libevent_la_SOURCES = $(CORE_SRC) $(EXTRAS_SRC)
 libevent_la_LIBADD = @LTLIBOBJS@ $(SYS_LIBS)
@@ -299,8 +303,6 @@ else
 noinst_HEADERS += $(EVENT1_HDRS)
 endif
 
-AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/compat -I$(srcdir)/include -I./include $(SYS_INCLUDES)
-
 verify: check
 
 doxygen: FORCE