diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile b/tools/perf/Makefile
index 158c30e8210c..207dee5c5b16 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile
@@ -165,8 +165,12 @@ grep-libs = $(filter -l%,$(1))
 strip-libs = $(filter-out -l%,$(1))
 
 $(OUTPUT)python/perf.so: $(PYRF_OBJS)
-	$(QUIET_GEN)python util/setup.py --quiet  build_ext --build-lib='$(OUTPUT)python' \
-						--build-temp='$(OUTPUT)python/temp'
+	$(QUIET_GEN)( \
+		export CFLAGS="$(BASIC_CFLAGS)"; \
+		python util/setup.py --quiet  build_ext --build-lib='$(OUTPUT)python' \
+			--build-temp='$(OUTPUT)python/temp' \
+	)
+
 #
 # No Perl scripts right now:
 #
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/setup.py b/tools/perf/util/setup.py
index e24ffadb20b2..bbc982f5dd8b 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/setup.py
+++ b/tools/perf/util/setup.py
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python2
 
 from distutils.core import setup, Extension
+from os import getenv
+
+cflags = ['-fno-strict-aliasing', '-Wno-write-strings']
+cflags += getenv('CFLAGS', '').split()
 
 perf = Extension('perf',
 		  sources = ['util/python.c', 'util/ctype.c', 'util/evlist.c',
 			     'util/evsel.c', 'util/cpumap.c', 'util/thread_map.c',
 			     'util/util.c', 'util/xyarray.c', 'util/cgroup.c'],
 		  include_dirs = ['util/include'],
-		  extra_compile_args = ['-fno-strict-aliasing', '-Wno-write-strings'])
+		  extra_compile_args = cflags,
+                 )
 
 setup(name='perf',
       version='0.1',