diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f007118..43b8179 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -129,23 +129,36 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([freetype-config],
             [freetype_config=$withval],
             [freetype_config=yes])
 
+AC_ARG_VAR([FREETYPE_CPPFLAGS],
+           [C compiler flags for FREETYPE, overriding freetype-config])
+AC_ARG_VAR([FREETYPE_LIBS],
+           [C linker flags for FREETYPE, overriding freetype-config])
+
 if test "$freetype_config" = "yes"; then
   AC_PATH_TOOL(ft_config,
                freetype-config,
                no)
-  if test "$ft_config" = "no"; then
-    AC_MSG_ERROR([FreeType library is missing; see http://www.freetype.org/])
-  fi
 else
   ft_config="$freetype_config"
 fi
 
-FREETYPE_CPPFLAGS="`$ft_config --cflags`"
-FREETYPE_LIBS="`$ft_config --libtool`"
+if test "$ft_config" = "no"; then
+  if { test -z "$FREETYPE_CPPFLAGS" || test -z "$FREETYPE_LIBS";  }; then
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([FreeType library is missing; see http://www.freetype.org/])
+  fi
+else
+  if test -z "$FREETYPE_CPPFLAGS"; then
+    FREETYPE_CPPFLAGS="`$ft_config --cflags`"
+  fi
+
+  if test -z "$FREETYPE_LIBS"; then
+    FREETYPE_LIBS="`$ft_config --libtool`"
 
-# many platforms no longer install .la files for system libraries
-if test ! -f "$FREETYPE_LIBS"; then
-  FREETYPE_LIBS="`$ft_config --libs`"
+    # many platforms no longer install .la files for system libraries
+    if test ! -f "$FREETYPE_LIBS"; then
+      FREETYPE_LIBS="`$ft_config --libs`"
+    fi
+  fi
 fi
 
 AC_SUBST([FREETYPE_CPPFLAGS])