diff --git a/mk/lib.mk b/mk/lib.mk
index 6a1c465b6..975102531 100644
--- a/mk/lib.mk
+++ b/mk/lib.mk
@@ -143,4 +143,5 @@ endif
 	@echo "  CFLAGS: Flags for the C compiler"
 	@echo "  CXX ($(CXX)): C++ compiler to be used"
 	@echo "  CXXFLAGS: Flags for the C++ compiler"
+	@echo "  CPPFLAGS: C preprocessor flags, used for both CC and CXX"
 	@$(print-var-help)
diff --git a/mk/patterns.mk b/mk/patterns.mk
index 7319f4cdd..86a724806 100644
--- a/mk/patterns.mk
+++ b/mk/patterns.mk
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 $(buildprefix)%.o: %.cc
 	@mkdir -p "$(dir $@)"
-	$(trace-cxx) $(CXX) -o $@ -c $< $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS_PCH) $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
+	$(trace-cxx) $(CXX) -o $@ -c $< $(CPPFLAGS) $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS_PCH) $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
 
 $(buildprefix)%.o: %.cpp
 	@mkdir -p "$(dir $@)"
-	$(trace-cxx) $(CXX) -o $@ -c $< $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS_PCH) $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
+	$(trace-cxx) $(CXX) -o $@ -c $< $(CPPFLAGS) $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS_PCH) $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
 
 $(buildprefix)%.o: %.c
 	@mkdir -p "$(dir $@)"
-	$(trace-cc) $(CC) -o $@ -c $< $(GLOBAL_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $($@_CFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
+	$(trace-cc) $(CC) -o $@ -c $< $(CPPFLAGS) $(GLOBAL_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $($@_CFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP