diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bdc770b..f3ca3f1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,10 +1,22 @@
-VERSION := git-20170906
+VERSION := git-20170908
 
-.PHONY: clean install uninstall
+.PHONY: all clean install uninstall
 .SUFFIXES:
 
 include config.mk
 
+CPPFLAGS += -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" -DHAVE_GIFLIB=$(HAVE_GIFLIB) -DHAVE_LIBEXIF=$(HAVE_LIBEXIF)
+DEPFLAGS := -MMD -MP
+
+LDLIBS := -lImlib2 -lX11 -lXft
+
+ifneq ($(HAVE_GIFLIB),0)
+	LDLIBS += -lgif
+endif
+ifneq ($(HAVE_LIBEXIF),0)
+	LDLIBS += -lexif
+endif
+
 SRC := autoreload_$(AUTORELOAD).c commands.c image.c main.c options.c thumbs.c util.c window.c
 DEP := $(SRC:.c=.d)
 OBJ := $(SRC:.c=.o)
@@ -16,13 +28,13 @@ $(OBJ): Makefile
 -include $(DEP)
 
 %.o: %.c
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" -MMD -MP -c -o $@ $<
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEPFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
 config.h:
 	cp config.def.h $@
 
 sxiv:	$(OBJ)
-	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(OBJ) $(LIBS)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(OBJ) $(LDLIBS)
 
 clean:
 	rm -f $(OBJ) $(DEP) sxiv
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index a20e6e3..cf2f946 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -5,20 +5,13 @@ CC        ?= gcc
 CFLAGS    += -std=c99 -Wall -pedantic
 CPPFLAGS  += -I/usr/include/freetype2 -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=700
 LDFLAGS   += 
-LIBS      := -lImlib2 -lX11 -lXft
 
 # autoreload backend: inotify/nop
 AUTORELOAD := inotify
 
-# optional dependencies:
-# giflib: gif animations
-ifndef NO_GIFLIB
-	CPPFLAGS += -DHAVE_GIFLIB
-	LIBS     += -lgif
-endif
-# libexif: jpeg auto-orientation, exif thumbnails
-ifndef NO_LIBEXIF
-	CPPFLAGS += -DHAVE_LIBEXIF
-	LIBS     += -lexif
-endif
+# enable features requiring giflib (-lgif)
+HAVE_GIFLIB := 1
+
+# enable features requiring libexif (-lexif)
+HAVE_LIBEXIF := 1