--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ c89:
 	@echo ''
 
 FreeBSD NetBSD OpenBSD freebsd:
-	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_LINUX -DLUA_USE_READLINE -I/usr/include/edit" SYSLIBS="-Wl,-E -ledit" CC="cc"
+	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_LINUX $(if $(USE_READLINE), -DLUA_USE_READLINE) -I/usr/include/edit" SYSLIBS="-Wl,-E -ledit" CC="cc"
 
 generic: $(ALL)
 
@@ -136,13 +136,13 @@ ios:
 Linux linux:	linux-noreadline
 
 linux-noreadline:
-	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_LINUX" SYSLIBS="-Wl,-E -ldl"
+	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_LINUX $(if $(USE_READLINE), -DLUA_USE_READLINE)" SYSLIBS="-Wl,-E -ldl $(if $(USE_READLINE), -lreadline)"
 
 linux-readline:
 	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_LINUX -DLUA_USE_READLINE" SYSLIBS="-Wl,-E -ldl -lreadline"
 
 Darwin macos macosx:
-	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_MACOSX -DLUA_USE_READLINE" SYSLIBS="-lreadline"
+	$(MAKE) $(ALL) SYSCFLAGS="-DLUA_USE_MACOSX $(if $(USE_READLINE), -DLUA_USE_READLINE)" SYSLIBS="$(if $(USE_READLINE), -lreadline)"
 
 mingw:
 	$(MAKE) "LUA_A=lua54.dll" "LUA_T=lua.exe" \