diff --git a/fc-list/Imakefile b/fc-list/Imakefile
index 13a1280..d4016db 100644
--- a/fc-list/Imakefile
+++ b/fc-list/Imakefile
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+#ifdef UseInstalled
+/* building outside the tree, use private defines */
+#include "../local.def"
+#endif
+
 INCLUDES=$(FREETYPE2INCLUDES) $(LIBXML2INCLUDES) -I..
 
 LOCAL_LIBRARIES=FontconfigClientLibs
diff --git a/local.def b/local.def
index 483dd76..aea4212 100644
--- a/local.def
+++ b/local.def
@@ -26,6 +26,20 @@
 #define _Use    _FUse
 #define _UseCat _FUseCat
 
+#ifndef ExpatClientLibs
+#define ExpatClientLibs -lexpat
+#endif
+#ifndef ExpatClientDepLibs
+#define ExpatClientDepLibs
+#endif
+
+#ifndef FontconfigClientDepLibs
+#define FontconfigClientDepLibs $(DEPFONTCONFIGLIB) $(DEPFREETYPE2LIB) ExpatClientDepLibs
+#endif
+#ifndef FontconfigClientLibs
+#define FontconfigClientLibs $(FONTCONFIGLIB) $(FREETYPE2LIB) ExpatClientLibs
+#endif
+
 #if SharedLibFontconfig
 #define SharedFontconfigRev 1.0
 SharedLibReferences(FONTCONFIG,fontconfig,$(FONTCONFIGSRC),SOXLIBREV,SharedFontconfigRev)