--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -33,16 +33,9 @@
 applicationsdir := $(prefix)/share/applications
 
 PERL            := /usr/bin/perl
-CC              := gcc
-CFLAGS          += $(CPPFLAGS) -Wall -Wextra -Wstrict-prototypes -Wmissing-prototypes -Werror -g -DVERSION='"$(VERSION)"' -DPACKAGE='"$(PACKAGE)"' -DLOCALEDIR='"$(nlsdir)"'
-LIBS            := 
-
-ifneq (,$(findstring noopt,$(DEB_BUILD_OPTIONS)))
-  CFLAGS += -O0
-else
-  CFLAGS += -O2
-endif
-
+CC              ?= gcc
+CFLAGS          += $(CPPFLAGS) -Wall -Wextra -Wstrict-prototypes -Wmissing-prototypes -DVERSION='"$(VERSION)"' -DPACKAGE='"$(PACKAGE)"' -DLOCALEDIR='"$(nlsdir)"'
+LIBS            += 
 
 # determine our version number
 ifndef VERSION
@@ -58,9 +51,6 @@
   unexport CDPATH ENV
 
   ifdef DESTDIR
-    ifneq ($(DESTDIR),$(abspath $(DESTDIR)))
-      $(error DESTDIR "$(DESTDIR)" is not an absolute path)
-    endif
     override ddirshort  :=  DESTDIR
     export ddirshort
   endif
@@ -108,7 +99,9 @@
     esac; fi;
   endef
 else
-  msg := :
+  define msg
+    :
+  endef
 endif
 
 msgprefix         := *$(subst * ,*,$(wordlist 1,$(MAKELEVEL),* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *))