diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4177bd2e4a..95828f5b85 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -77,6 +77,12 @@ else
   CCACHE_CXX := $(CXX)
 endif
 
+# Default variables don't get pushed into the environment, but scripts in build/
+# rely on the existence of CC in the environment.
+ifeq ($(origin CC), default)
+  CC := $(CC)
+endif
+
 ACTORCOMPILER := bin/actorcompiler.exe
 
 # UNSTRIPPED := 1
diff --git a/build/link-wrapper.sh b/build/link-wrapper.sh
index 9c80359e68..5d24fc83d5 100755
--- a/build/link-wrapper.sh
+++ b/build/link-wrapper.sh
@@ -2,11 +2,6 @@
 
 set -e
 
-if [ -z ${CC+x} ]
-then
-    CC=gcc
-fi
-
 case $1 in
     Application | DynamicLibrary)
 	echo "Linking        $3"