diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8b3bbfdb05de6f..be58835e7b6e7d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -641,6 +641,7 @@ export prefix bindir sharedir sysconfdir perllibdir localedir
 
 # Set our default programs
 CC = cc
+LINK = $(CC)
 AR = ar
 RM = rm -f
 DIFF = diff
@@ -2445,7 +2446,7 @@ git.sp git.s git.o: EXTRA_CPPFLAGS = \
 	'-DGIT_INFO_PATH="$(infodir_relative_SQ)"'
 
 git$X: git.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(BUILTIN_OBJS) $(GITLIBS)
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) \
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(filter %.o,$^) $(LIBS)
 
 help.sp help.s help.o: command-list.h
@@ -2840,17 +2841,17 @@ headless-git$X: headless-git.o git.res GIT-LDFLAGS
 	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) $(ALL_LDFLAGS) -mwindows -o $@ $< git.res
 
 git-%$X: %.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS)
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) $(LIBS)
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) $(LIBS)
 
 git-imap-send$X: imap-send.o $(IMAP_SEND_BUILDDEPS) GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS)
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
 		$(IMAP_SEND_LDFLAGS) $(LIBS)
 
 git-http-fetch$X: http.o http-walker.o http-fetch.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS)
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
 		$(CURL_LIBCURL) $(LIBS)
 git-http-push$X: http.o http-push.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS)
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
 		$(CURL_LIBCURL) $(EXPAT_LIBEXPAT) $(LIBS)
 
 $(REMOTE_CURL_ALIASES): $(REMOTE_CURL_PRIMARY)
@@ -2860,11 +2861,11 @@ $(REMOTE_CURL_ALIASES): $(REMOTE_CURL_PRIMARY)
 	cp $< $@
 
 $(REMOTE_CURL_PRIMARY): remote-curl.o http.o http-walker.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS)
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) \
 		$(CURL_LIBCURL) $(EXPAT_LIBEXPAT) $(LIBS)
 
 scalar$X: scalar.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS)
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) \
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(filter %.o,$^) $(LIBS)
 
 $(LIB_FILE): $(LIB_OBJS)
@@ -3262,7 +3263,7 @@ perf: all
 t/helper/test-tool$X: $(patsubst %,t/helper/%,$(TEST_BUILTINS_OBJS))
 
 t/helper/test-%$X: t/helper/test-%.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS) $(REFTABLE_TEST_LIB)
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) $(filter %.a,$^) $(LIBS)
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) $(filter %.a,$^) $(LIBS)
 
 check-sha1:: t/helper/test-tool$X
 	t/helper/test-sha1.sh