diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3af445e..98b0fac 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -91,7 +91,9 @@ carla:
 		STATIC_PLUGIN_TARGET=true
 
 deps:
-ifneq ($(SYSDEPS),true)
+ifeq ($(SYSDEPS),true)
+	$(MAKE) quickjs -C deps
+else
 	$(MAKE) all -C deps
 endif
 
diff --git a/deps/Makefile b/deps/Makefile
index 9a1ecc3..3c553ee 100644
--- a/deps/Makefile
+++ b/deps/Makefile
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ CONFIGURE += ac_cv_host=$(TARGET_MACHINE)
 
 DEP_MAKE  = $(MAKE)
 DEP_MAKE += ARCH_NAME=$(ARCH_NAME)
+DEP_MAKE += CC=$(CC)
+DEP_MAKE += CXX=$(CXX)
 DEP_MAKE += CFLAGS="$(BUILD_C_FLAGS)"
 DEP_MAKE += CXXFLAGS="$(BUILD_CXX_FLAGS)"
 DEP_MAKE += LDFLAGS="$(LINK_FLAGS)"
@@ -238,4 +240,6 @@ clean:
 	rm -rf $(DEP_PATH)/zstd-1.4.5
 	rm -rf $(DEP_PATH)/QuickJS
 
+quickjs: $(DEP_PATH)/lib/libquickjs.a
+
 # --------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk b/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
index c4f4e58..aee4e04 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
+++ b/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
@@ -93,10 +93,10 @@ endif
 
 RACK_EXTRA_LIBS  = ../../plugins/plugins.a
 RACK_EXTRA_LIBS += ../rack.a
+RACK_EXTRA_LIBS += ../Rack/dep/lib/libquickjs.a
 
 ifneq ($(SYSDEPS),true)
 RACK_EXTRA_LIBS += ../Rack/dep/lib/libjansson.a
-RACK_EXTRA_LIBS += ../Rack/dep/lib/libquickjs.a
 RACK_EXTRA_LIBS += ../Rack/dep/lib/libsamplerate.a
 RACK_EXTRA_LIBS += ../Rack/dep/lib/libspeexdsp.a
 ifeq ($(WINDOWS),true)