diff --git a/instlib/source/Makefile.proto b/instlib/source/Makefile.proto
index 0d0dd3e..dd4b680 100644
--- a/instlib/source/Makefile.proto
+++ b/instlib/source/Makefile.proto
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 SHELL=/bin/sh
 
+cns_string=`date "+%y%m%d%H%M"`
+
 # commands
 RM = /bin/rm
 
@@ -19,32 +21,26 @@ DEPENDS = $(OBJS) dmemory.o machine_c.o
 
 # the default is to make the cns executable
 cns_solve:
-	@ make -k printflags       F77BUG="$(debug)" DEBUG="$(debug)"
-	@ make -k ../bin/cns_solve F77BUG="$(debug)" DEBUG="$(debug)"
-	@ make -k exepurge
+	@ make printflags       F77BUG="$(debug)" DEBUG="$(debug)"
+	@ make ${MAKEOPTS} ../bin/cns_solve F77BUG="$(debug)" DEBUG="$(debug)"
+	@ make exepurge
 
 # rule for the fortran routines
 $(OBJS): 
-	@ echo "compiling: $(@:.o=.f)"; \
-	  $(F77) -c $(F77FLAGS) $(@:.o=.f)
+	$(F77) -c $(F77FLAGS) $(@:.o=.f)
 
 # rule for the dynamic memory allocation C routines
 dmemory.o: dmemory.c
-	@ echo ; echo "compiling: $?"
-	@ $(CC) -c $(CCFLAGS) $?
+	$(CC) -c $(CCFLAGS) $?
 
 # rule for the machine specific C routines
 machine_c.o: machine_c.c
-	@ echo ; echo "compiling: $?"
-	@ $(CC) -c $(CCFLAGS) $?
+	$(CC) -c $(CCFLAGS) $?
 
 # rule for the executable itself
 ../bin/cns_solve: $(DEPENDS) 
-	@ echo ; echo "linking: cns_solve"; echo
-	@ cns_string=`date "+%y%m%d%H%M"`; \
-	  $(LD) -o cns_solve-$$cns_string.exe $(OBJS) dmemory.o machine_c.o \
-	                                      $(LDFLAGS) \
-	                                      $(CNS_FFTDIR) $(CNS_FFTLIB); \
+	$(LD) $(LDFLAGS) -o cns_solve-$$cns_string.exe $(OBJS) dmemory.o machine_c.o \
+	                                      $(CNS_FFTDIR) $(CNS_FFTLIB); \
 	  if [ -x cns_solve-$$cns_string.exe ]; \
 	    then echo "created executable file cns_solve-$$cns_string.exe"; \
 	         echo ""; cd ../bin; $(RM) -f cns_solve; $(RM) -f cns; \
diff --git a/instlib/utils/Makefile b/instlib/utils/Makefile
index 98de84f..4f32b34 100644
--- a/instlib/utils/Makefile
+++ b/instlib/utils/Makefile
@@ -22,17 +22,17 @@ utils:
 	make clean
 
 .f:
-	$(F77) -o $@ $(F77FLAGS) $(@).f $(F77LINK)
+	$(F77) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(F77FLAGS) $(@).f $(F77LINK)
 
 .c:
-	$(CC) -o $@ $(CCFLAGS) $(@).c $(CCLINK)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(CCFLAGS) $(@).c $(CCLINK)
 
 .cpp:
-	$(CPP) -o $@ $(CCFLAGS) $(@).cpp $(CCLINK)
+	$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(CXXFLAGS) $(@).cpp $(CCLINK)
 
 .l:
 	lex $(@).l
-	$(CC) $(CCFLAGS) -o $@ lex.yy.c $(CCLINK) -l$(LEXLIB)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) $(CCFLAGS) -o $@ lex.yy.c $(CCLINK) -l$(LEXLIB)
 
 relink:
 	@ cd $(CNS_INST)/utils; touch x; rm -f x `ls * | grep -v Makefile`