diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9998dbb9..c65bfb34 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@
 # install to install in a separate location.  This is useful for
 # packagers.
 
-#XXX
-BUILD_ITEMS = manual external-libs libqpdf zlib-flate libtests qpdf examples
+BUILD_ITEMS := manual libqpdf zlib-flate libtests qpdf examples
 OUTPUT_DIR = build
 ALL_TARGETS =
 
@@ -53,9 +52,9 @@ include autoconf.mk
 
 endif
 
-#XXX
-##BUILDRULES := libtool
-BUILDRULES := gcc-linux
+ifeq ($(BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS),1)
+  BUILD_ITEMS := external-libs $(BUILD_ITEMS)
+endif
 
 # Prevent gnu make from trying to rebuild .dep files
 $(foreach B,$(BUILD_ITEMS),$(eval \
diff --git a/README.windows b/README.windows
index 29a717d1..001410f1 100644
--- a/README.windows
+++ b/README.windows
@@ -15,3 +15,5 @@ Basic procedure for building with mingw is to run configure and build
 in msys and then run the test suite in cygwin with GENDEPS=0.
 
 Also have to deal with gcc runtime DLL.
+
+./configure --disable-test-compare-images --enable-build-external-libs --with-buildrules=mingw
diff --git a/autoconf.mk.in b/autoconf.mk.in
index ee22bc2c..d59a9e6e 100644
--- a/autoconf.mk.in
+++ b/autoconf.mk.in
@@ -30,3 +30,5 @@ BUILD_HTML=@BUILD_HTML@
 BUILD_PDF=@BUILD_PDF@
 VALIDATE_DOC=@VALIDATE_DOC@
 SKIP_TEST_COMPARE_IMAGES=@SKIP_TEST_COMPARE_IMAGES@
+BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS=@BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS@
+BUILDRULES=@BUILDRULES@
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 921bfed1..d6523ff7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -15,10 +15,29 @@ AC_HEADER_STDC
 LT_INIT([win32-dll])
 AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
 
-AC_CHECK_HEADER(zlib.h,,[MISSING_ZLIB_H=1; MISSING_ANY=1])
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS(deflate,z zlib,,[MISSING_ZLIB=1; MISSING_ANY=1])
-AC_CHECK_HEADER(pcre.h,,[MISSING_PCRE_H=1; MISSING_ANY=1])
-AC_SEARCH_LIBS(pcre_compile,pcre,,[MISSING_PCRE=1; MISSING_ANY=1])
+AC_SUBST(BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS)
+BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS=0
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(for whether to build external libraries)
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(build-external-libs,
+   AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-build-external-libs],
+		  [whether to build external libraries]),
+   [if test "$enableval" = "yes"; then
+      BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS=1;
+    else
+      BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS=0;
+    fi], [BUILD_INTERNAL_LIBS=0])
+if test "$BUILD_INTERNAL_LIBS" = "0"; then
+   AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+else
+   AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+fi
+
+if test "$BUILD_INTERNAL_LIBS" = "0"; then
+   AC_CHECK_HEADER(zlib.h,,[MISSING_ZLIB_H=1; MISSING_ANY=1])
+   AC_SEARCH_LIBS(deflate,z zlib,,[MISSING_ZLIB=1; MISSING_ANY=1])
+   AC_CHECK_HEADER(pcre.h,,[MISSING_PCRE_H=1; MISSING_ANY=1])
+   AC_SEARCH_LIBS(pcre_compile,pcre,,[MISSING_PCRE=1; MISSING_ANY=1])
+fi
 
 AC_TYPE_UINT16_T
 AC_TYPE_UINT32_T
@@ -80,23 +99,34 @@ else
    CFLAGS=$oCFLAGS
 fi
 
-AC_MSG_CHECKING(for whether to use -Werror)
-AC_ARG_ENABLE(werror,
-   AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-werror],
-		  [whether to use werror (default is yes if -Wall works)]),
-   [if test "$enableval" = "yes"; then
-      qpdf_USE_WERROR=1;
-    else
-      qpdf_USE_WERROR=0;
-    fi], [qpdf_USE_WERROR=$qpdf_USE_WALL])
-if test "$qpdf_USE_WERROR" = "1"; then
-   AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
-   CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Werror"
-   CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Werror"
-else
-   AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+if test "$BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS" = "0"; then
+   AC_MSG_CHECKING(for whether to use -Werror)
+   AC_ARG_ENABLE(werror,
+      AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-werror],
+		     [whether to use werror (default is yes if -Wall works)]),
+      [if test "$enableval" = "yes"; then
+	 qpdf_USE_WERROR=1;
+       else
+	 qpdf_USE_WERROR=0;
+       fi], [qpdf_USE_WERROR=$qpdf_USE_WALL])
+   if test "$qpdf_USE_WERROR" = "1"; then
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
+      CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -Werror"
+      CXXFLAGS="$CXXFLAGS -Werror"
+   else
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(no)
+   fi
 fi
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING(which build rules to use)
+AC_SUBST(BUILDRULES)
+AC_ARG_WITH(buildrules,
+   AS_HELP_STRING([--with-buildrules=rules],
+		  [which build rules to use; see README]),
+   [BUILDRULES=$withval],
+   [BUILDRULES=libtool])
+AC_MSG_RESULT($BUILDRULES)
+
 AC_SUBST(SKIP_TEST_COMPARE_IMAGES)
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(test-compare-images,
    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-test-compare-images],
@@ -284,4 +314,13 @@ if test "$MISSING_ANY" = "1"; then
   AC_MSG_ERROR(some required prerequisites were not found)
 fi
 
+# Do this last so it doesn't interfere with other tests.
+if test "$BUILD_EXTERNAL_LIBS" = "1"; then
+   if test "$BUILDRULES" = "libtool"; then
+      AC_MSG_ERROR([BUILDRULES=libtool is not supported when building external libraries])
+   fi
+   LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -Lexternal-libs/build"
+   LIBS="$LIBS -lexternal"
+fi
+
 AC_OUTPUT()
diff --git a/external-libs/build.mk b/external-libs/build.mk
index 5b092481..7c694bbb 100644
--- a/external-libs/build.mk
+++ b/external-libs/build.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 TARGETS_external-libs = external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/libexternal.a
-INCLUDES_external-libs = external-libs/zlib external-libs/pcre \
-	external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)
+INCLUDES_external-libs = external-libs/zlib external-libs/pcre
 
 SRCS_external-libs_zlib = \
 	external-libs/zlib/adler32.c \
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ $(OBJS_external-libs_zlib): external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/%.$(LOBJ): external-libs
 	$(call c_libcompile,$<,$(INCLUDES_external-libs))
 
 $(OBJS_external-libs_pcre): external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/%.$(LOBJ): external-libs/pcre/%.c
-	$(call c_libcompile,$<,$(INCLUDES_external-libs))
+	$(call c_libcompile,$<,$(INCLUDES_external-libs) external-libs/$(OUTPUT_DIR))
 
 $(TARGETS_external-libs): $(OBJS_external-libs)
 	$(call makeslib,$(OBJS_external-libs),$(TARGETS_external-libs))
diff --git a/libqpdf/build.mk b/libqpdf/build.mk
index ecda6a25..03408e06 100644
--- a/libqpdf/build.mk
+++ b/libqpdf/build.mk
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ TARGETS_libqpdf = libqpdf/$(OUTPUT_DIR)/$(call libname,qpdf)
 
 $(TARGETS_libqpdf): $(TARGETS_external-libs)
 
-INCLUDES_libqpdf = include libqpdf
+INCLUDES_libqpdf = include libqpdf $(INCLUDES_external-libs)
 
 SRCS_libqpdf = \
 	libqpdf/BitStream.cc \