diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a705c11..08b952b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -13,11 +13,14 @@ OBJS = $(SRCS:.cc=.o)
 MODULE_big = plv8-$(PLV8_VERSION)
 EXTENSION = plv8
 PLV8_DATA = plv8.control plv8--$(PLV8_VERSION).sql
+USE_SYSTEM_V8 = 0
 
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
 	# noop for now
 else
+	ifeq ($(USE_SYSTEM_V8),0)
 	SHLIB_LINK += -Ldeps/v8-cmake/build
+	endif
 	UNAME_S := $(shell uname -s)
 	ifeq ($(UNAME_S),Darwin)
 		CCFLAGS += -stdlib=libc++
@@ -34,6 +37,7 @@ ifeq ($(NUMPROC),0)
 	NUMPROC = 1
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(USE_SYSTEM_V8),0)
 SHLIB_LINK += -Ldeps/v8-cmake/build
 
 all: v8 $(OBJS)
@@ -46,11 +50,16 @@ deps/v8-cmake/build/libv8_libbase.a:
 	@cd deps/v8-cmake && mkdir -p build && cd build && cmake -Denable-fPIC=ON -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ../ && make -j $(NUMPROC)
 
 v8: deps/v8-cmake/build/libv8_libbase.a
+else
+all: $(OBJS)
+endif
 
 # enable direct jsonb conversion by default
 CCFLAGS += -DJSONB_DIRECT_CONVERSION
 
+ifeq ($(USE_SYSTEM_V8),0)
 CCFLAGS += -Ideps/v8-cmake/v8/include -std=c++17
+endif
 
 ifdef EXECUTION_TIMEOUT
 	CCFLAGS += -DEXECUTION_TIMEOUT