diff --git a/mk/functions.mk b/mk/functions.mk
index 51f64570..45d91739 100644
--- a/mk/functions.mk
+++ b/mk/functions.mk
@@ -5,3 +5,10 @@ rwildcard=$(foreach d,$(wildcard $1*),$(call rwildcard,$d/,$2) $(filter $(subst
 # Given a file name, produce the corresponding dependency file
 # (e.g. ‘foo/bar.o’ becomes ‘foo/.bar.o.dep’).
 filename-to-dep = $(dir $1).$(notdir $1).dep
+
+# Return the full path to a program by looking it up in $PATH, or the
+# empty string if not found.
+find-program = $(shell for i in $$(IFS=: ; echo $$PATH); do p=$$i/$(strip $1); if [ -e $$p ]; then echo $$p; break; fi; done)
+
+# Remove trailing slash.
+add-trailing-slash = $(patsubst %/,%,$(1))/
diff --git a/mk/install.mk b/mk/install.mk
index e4bc734e..dad0fd85 100644
--- a/mk/install.mk
+++ b/mk/install.mk
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Add a rule for creating $(1) as a directory.  This template may be
 # called multiple times for the same directory.
 define create-dir
-   _i := $(DESTDIR)$$(strip $(1))
+   _i := $$(call add-trailing-slash, $(DESTDIR)$$(strip $(1)))
   ifndef $$(_i)_SEEN
     $$(_i)_SEEN = 1
     $$(_i):
diff --git a/mk/lib.mk b/mk/lib.mk
index 6bcd83a0..56e162d5 100644
--- a/mk/lib.mk
+++ b/mk/lib.mk
@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@ ifeq ($(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS), 1)
   GLOBAL_CFLAGS += -fPIC
   GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS += -fPIC
   ifneq ($(OS), Darwin)
+   ifneq ($(OS), SunOS)
     GLOBAL_LDFLAGS += -Wl,--no-copy-dt-needed-entries
+   endif
   endif
+  SET_RPATH_TO_LIBS ?= 1
 endif
 
 
diff --git a/mk/libraries.mk b/mk/libraries.mk
index c4169479..4b8292cc 100644
--- a/mk/libraries.mk
+++ b/mk/libraries.mk
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ endif
 #
 # - $(1)_SOURCES: the source files of the library.
 #
+# - $(1)_CFLAGS: additional C compiler flags.
+#
 # - $(1)_CXXFLAGS: additional C++ compiler flags.
 #
 # - $(1)_LIBS: the symbolic names of other libraries on which this
@@ -64,10 +66,14 @@ define build-library
       endif
     endif
 
+    ifneq ($(OS), Darwin)
+      $(1)_LDFLAGS += -Wl,-soname=$$($(1)_NAME).$(SO_EXT)
+    endif
+
     $(1)_PATH := $$(_d)/$$($(1)_NAME).$(SO_EXT)
 
-    $$($(1)_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) $$(_libs) | $$(_d)
-	$$(trace-ld) $(CXX) -o $$@ -shared $(GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_OBJS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS_PROPAGATED) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS_USE))
+    $$($(1)_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) $$(_libs) | $$(_d)/
+	$$(trace-ld) $(CXX) -o $$@ -shared $$(GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_OBJS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS_PROPAGATED) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS_USE))
 
     $(1)_LDFLAGS_USE += -L$$(_d) -Wl,-rpath,$$(abspath $$(_d)) -l$$(patsubst lib%,%,$$(strip $$($(1)_NAME)))
 
@@ -77,10 +83,13 @@ define build-library
 
     $$(eval $$(call create-dir, $$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)))
 
-    $$($(1)_INSTALL_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) $$(_libs_final) | $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)
-	$$(trace-ld) $(CXX) -o $$@ -shared $(GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_OBJS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS_PROPAGATED) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS_USE_INSTALLED))
+    $$($(1)_INSTALL_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) $$(_libs_final) | $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)/
+	$$(trace-ld) $(CXX) -o $$@ -shared $$(GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_OBJS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS_PROPAGATED) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS_USE_INSTALLED))
 
-    $(1)_LDFLAGS_USE_INSTALLED += -L$$(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR) -Wl,-rpath,$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR) -l$$(patsubst lib%,%,$$(strip $$($(1)_NAME)))
+    $(1)_LDFLAGS_USE_INSTALLED += -L$$(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR) -l$$(patsubst lib%,%,$$(strip $$($(1)_NAME)))
+    ifeq ($(SET_RPATH_TO_LIBS), 1)
+      $(1)_LDFLAGS_USE_INSTALLED += -Wl,-rpath,$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)
+    endif
 
     ifdef $(1)_FORCE_INSTALL
       install: $$($(1)_INSTALL_PATH)
@@ -90,7 +99,7 @@ define build-library
 
     $(1)_PATH := $$(_d)/$$($(1)_NAME).a
 
-    $$($(1)_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) | $$(_d)
+    $$($(1)_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) | $$(_d)/
 	$(trace-ar) ar crs $$@ $$?
 
     $(1)_LDFLAGS_USE += $$($(1)_PATH) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS)
@@ -102,11 +111,12 @@ define build-library
   $(1)_LDFLAGS_USE += $$($(1)_LDFLAGS_PROPAGATED)
   $(1)_LDFLAGS_USE_INSTALLED += $$($(1)_LDFLAGS_PROPAGATED)
 
-  # Propagate CXXFLAGS to the individual object files.
+  # Propagate CFLAGS and CXXFLAGS to the individual object files.
+  $$(foreach obj, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(eval $$(obj)_CFLAGS=$$($(1)_CFLAGS)))
   $$(foreach obj, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(eval $$(obj)_CXXFLAGS=$$($(1)_CXXFLAGS)))
 
   # Make each object file depend on the common dependencies.
-  $$(foreach obj, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(eval $$(obj): $$($(1)_COMMON_DEPS)))
+  $$(foreach obj, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(eval $$(obj): $$($(1)_COMMON_DEPS) $$(GLOBAL_COMMON_DEPS)))
 
   # Include .dep files, if they exist.
   $(1)_DEPS := $$(foreach fn, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(call filename-to-dep, $$(fn)))
diff --git a/mk/patterns.mk b/mk/patterns.mk
index f5674d40..6b2cfd01 100644
--- a/mk/patterns.mk
+++ b/mk/patterns.mk
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 %.o: %.cc
-	$(trace-cxx) $(CXX) -o $@ -c $< $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
+	$(trace-cxx) $(CXX) -o $@ -c $< $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS) $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS_PCH) $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
 
 %.o: %.cpp
-	$(trace-cxx) $(CXX) -o $@ -c $< $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
+	$(trace-cxx) $(CXX) -o $@ -c $< $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS) $(GLOBAL_CXXFLAGS_PCH) $(CXXFLAGS) $($@_CXXFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
 
 %.o: %.c
 	$(trace-cc) $(CC) -o $@ -c $< $(GLOBAL_CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $($@_CFLAGS) -MMD -MF $(call filename-to-dep, $@) -MP
diff --git a/mk/programs.mk b/mk/programs.mk
index ab04ff93..b6de0689 100644
--- a/mk/programs.mk
+++ b/mk/programs.mk
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ programs-list :=
 #
 # - $(1)_SOURCES: the source files of the program.
 #
+# - $(1)_CFLAGS: additional C compiler flags.
+#
+# - $(1)_CXXFLAGS: additional C++ compiler flags.
+#
 # - $(1)_LIBS: the symbolic names of libraries on which this program
 #   depends.
 #
@@ -24,8 +28,8 @@ define build-program
 
   $$(eval $$(call create-dir, $$(_d)))
 
-  $$($(1)_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) $$(_libs) | $$(_d)
-	$$(trace-ld) $(CXX) -o $$@ $(GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_OBJS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS_USE))
+  $$($(1)_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) $$(_libs) | $$(_d)/
+	$$(trace-ld) $(CXX) -o $$@ $$(GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_OBJS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS_USE))
 
   $(1)_INSTALL_DIR ?= $$(bindir)
   $(1)_INSTALL_PATH := $$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)/$(1)
@@ -38,21 +42,22 @@ define build-program
 
     _libs_final := $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_INSTALL_PATH))
 
-    $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) $$(_libs_final) | $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)
-	$$(trace-ld) $(CXX) -o $$@ $(GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_OBJS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS_USE_INSTALLED))
+    $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_PATH): $$($(1)_OBJS) $$(_libs_final) | $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)/
+	$$(trace-ld) $(CXX) -o $$@ $$(GLOBAL_LDFLAGS) $$($(1)_OBJS) $$($(1)_LDFLAGS) $$(foreach lib, $$($(1)_LIBS), $$($$(lib)_LDFLAGS_USE_INSTALLED))
 
   else
 
-    $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_PATH): $$($(1)_PATH) | $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)
+    $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_PATH): $$($(1)_PATH) | $(DESTDIR)$$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR)/
 	install -t $$($(1)_INSTALL_DIR) $$<
 
   endif
 
-  # Propagate CXXFLAGS to the individual object files.
+  # Propagate CFLAGS and CXXFLAGS to the individual object files.
+  $$(foreach obj, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(eval $$(obj)_CFLAGS=$$($(1)_CFLAGS)))
   $$(foreach obj, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(eval $$(obj)_CXXFLAGS=$$($(1)_CXXFLAGS)))
 
   # Make each object file depend on the common dependencies.
-  $$(foreach obj, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(eval $$(obj): $$($(1)_COMMON_DEPS)))
+  $$(foreach obj, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(eval $$(obj): $$($(1)_COMMON_DEPS) $$(GLOBAL_COMMON_DEPS)))
 
   # Include .dep files, if they exist.
   $(1)_DEPS := $$(foreach fn, $$($(1)_OBJS), $$(call filename-to-dep, $$(fn)))