diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1947268e0..d3f01ec5d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,17 @@
 # This file is generated by tools/dmake, do not edit.
 
+# To compile without rules, use 'make HAVE_RULES=no'
+HAVE_RULES = yes
+
 ifndef CXXFLAGS
-    CXXFLAGS=-DHAVE_RULES -Wall -Wextra -Wshadow -pedantic -Wno-long-long -Wfloat-equal -Wcast-qual -g
+    CXXFLAGS=-Wall -Wextra -Wshadow -pedantic -Wno-long-long -Wfloat-equal -Wcast-qual -g
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(HAVE_RULES),yes)
+    CXXFLAGS += -DHAVE_RULES
+    ifndef LDFLAGS
+        LDFLAGS=-lpcre
+    endif
 endif
 
 ifndef CXX
@@ -116,12 +126,12 @@ EXTOBJ += $(TINYXML)
 ###### Targets
 
 cppcheck: $(LIBOBJ) $(CLIOBJ) $(EXTOBJ)
-	$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -o cppcheck $(CLIOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) -lpcre $(LDFLAGS)
+	$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -o cppcheck $(CLIOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) $(LDFLAGS)
 
 all:	cppcheck testrunner
 
 testrunner: $(TESTOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) cli/threadexecutor.o cli/cmdlineparser.o cli/cppcheckexecutor.o cli/filelister.o cli/pathmatch.o
-	$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -o testrunner $(TESTOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) -lpcre cli/threadexecutor.o cli/cmdlineparser.o cli/filelister.o cli/pathmatch.o $(LDFLAGS)
+	$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -o testrunner $(TESTOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) cli/threadexecutor.o cli/cmdlineparser.o cli/filelister.o cli/pathmatch.o $(LDFLAGS)
 
 test:	all
 	./testrunner
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index b85442449..5c11c7465 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Compiling
             make
 
         To build Cppcheck without rules (no dependencies):
-            make CXXFLAGS="-O2"
+            make HAVE_RULES=no
 
     g++ (for experts)
     =================
diff --git a/tools/dmake.cpp b/tools/dmake.cpp
index 6a26d133f..ae20be0f2 100644
--- a/tools/dmake.cpp
+++ b/tools/dmake.cpp
@@ -217,11 +217,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
 
     fout << "# This file is generated by tools/dmake, do not edit.\n\n";
+    fout << "# To compile without rules, use 'make HAVE_RULES=no'\n"
+         << "HAVE_RULES = yes\n\n";
 
     // Makefile settings..
     if (release)
     {
-        makeConditionalVariable(fout, "CXXFLAGS", "-O2 -DNDEBUG -DHAVE_RULES -Wall");
+        makeConditionalVariable(fout, "CXXFLAGS", "-O2 -DNDEBUG -Wall");
     }
     else
     {
@@ -232,7 +234,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
         // The _GLIBCXX_DEBUG doesn't work in cygwin
         makeConditionalVariable(fout, "CXXFLAGS",
-                                "-DHAVE_RULES "
                                 "-Wall "
                                 "-Wextra "
                                 "-Wshadow "
@@ -244,6 +245,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 //                                "-Wconversion "
                                 "-g");
     }
+
+    fout << "ifeq ($(HAVE_RULES),yes)\n"
+         << "    CXXFLAGS += -DHAVE_RULES\n"
+         << "    ifndef LDFLAGS\n"
+         << "        LDFLAGS=-lpcre\n"
+         << "    endif\n"
+         << "endif\n\n";
+
     makeConditionalVariable(fout, "CXX", "g++");
     makeConditionalVariable(fout, "PREFIX", "/usr");
     makeConditionalVariable(fout, "INCLUDE_FOR_LIB", "-Ilib");
@@ -274,10 +283,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     fout << "\n###### Targets\n\n";
     fout << "cppcheck: $(LIBOBJ) $(CLIOBJ) $(EXTOBJ)\n";
-    fout << "\t$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -o cppcheck $(CLIOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) -lpcre $(LDFLAGS)\n\n";
+    fout << "\t$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -o cppcheck $(CLIOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) $(LDFLAGS)\n\n";
     fout << "all:\tcppcheck testrunner\n\n";
     fout << "testrunner: $(TESTOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) cli/threadexecutor.o cli/cmdlineparser.o cli/cppcheckexecutor.o cli/filelister.o cli/pathmatch.o\n";
-    fout << "\t$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -o testrunner $(TESTOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) -lpcre cli/threadexecutor.o cli/cmdlineparser.o cli/filelister.o cli/pathmatch.o $(LDFLAGS)\n\n";
+    fout << "\t$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -o testrunner $(TESTOBJ) $(LIBOBJ) $(EXTOBJ) cli/threadexecutor.o cli/cmdlineparser.o cli/filelister.o cli/pathmatch.o $(LDFLAGS)\n\n";
     fout << "test:\tall\n";
     fout << "\t./testrunner\n\n";
     fout << "check:\tall\n";