diff --git a/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py b/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py
index 1bd6209..0be5b6b 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@
     varies across Unices and is stored in Python's Makefile.
     """
     if compiler.compiler_type == "unix":
-        (cc, cxx, opt, extra_cflags, basecflags, ccshared, ldshared, so_ext) = \
-            get_config_vars('CC', 'CXX', 'OPT', 'EXTRA_CFLAGS', 'BASECFLAGS',
+        (cc, cxx, opt, cflags, ccshared, ldshared, so_ext) = \
+            get_config_vars('CC', 'CXX', 'OPT', 'CFLAGS', 
                             'CCSHARED', 'LDSHARED', 'SO')
 
         if os.environ.has_key('CC'):
@@ -162,17 +162,15 @@
             cpp = cc + " -E"           # not always
         if os.environ.has_key('LDFLAGS'):
             ldshared = ldshared + ' ' + os.environ['LDFLAGS']
-        if basecflags:
-            opt = basecflags + ' ' + opt
         if os.environ.has_key('CFLAGS'):
-            opt = opt + ' ' + os.environ['CFLAGS']
+            cflags = opt + ' ' + os.environ['CFLAGS']
             ldshared = ldshared + ' ' + os.environ['CFLAGS']
         if os.environ.has_key('CPPFLAGS'):
             cpp = cpp + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']
-            opt = opt + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']
+            cflags = cflags + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']
             ldshared = ldshared + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']
 
-        cc_cmd = ' '.join(str(x) for x in (cc, opt, extra_cflags) if x)
+        cc_cmd = cc + ' ' + cflags
         compiler.set_executables(
             preprocessor=cpp,
             compiler=cc_cmd,
@@ -278,25 +276,20 @@
             m = _findvar1_rx.search(value) or _findvar2_rx.search(value)
             if m:
                 n = m.group(1)
+                found = True
                 if done.has_key(n):
-                    after = value[m.end():]
-                    value = value[:m.start()] + str(done[n]) + after
-                    if "$" in after:
-                        notdone[name] = value
-                    else:
-                        try: value = int(value)
-                        except ValueError:
-                            done[name] = string.strip(value)
-                        else:
-                            done[name] = value
-                        del notdone[name]
+                    item = str(done[n])
                 elif notdone.has_key(n):
                     # get it on a subsequent round
-                    pass
+                    found = False
+                elif os.environ.has_key(n):
+                    # do it like make: fall back to environment
+                    item = os.environ[n]
                 else:
-                    done[n] = ""
+                    done[n] = item = ""
+                if found:
                     after = value[m.end():]
-                    value = value[:m.start()] + after
+                    value = value[:m.start()] + item + after
                     if "$" in after:
                         notdone[name] = value
                     else:
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 1557a46..3c6b6c1 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@
 - EXTRA_CFLAGS has been introduced as an environment variable to hold compiler
   flags that change binary compatibility.  Changes were also made to
   distutils.sysconfig to also use the environment variable when used during
-  compilation of the interpreter.
+  compilation of the interpreter and of C extensions through distutils.
 
 - SF patch 1171735: Darwin 8's headers are anal about POSIX compliance,
   and linking has changed (prebinding is now deprecated, and libcc_dynamic
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 302f5c2..a8e5804 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@
         # unfortunately, distutils doesn't let us provide separate C and C++
         # compilers
         if compiler is not None:
-            (ccshared,opt,base) = sysconfig.get_config_vars('CCSHARED','OPT','BASECFLAGS')
-            args['compiler_so'] = compiler + ' ' + opt + ' ' + ccshared + ' ' + base
+            (ccshared,cflags) = sysconfig.get_config_vars('CCSHARED','CFLAGS')
+            args['compiler_so'] = compiler + ' ' + ccshared + ' ' + cflags
         self.compiler.set_executables(**args)
 
         build_ext.build_extensions(self)