diff --git a/Changes b/Changes
index c2e473987..be9990507 100644
--- a/Changes
+++ b/Changes
@@ -6,18 +6,22 @@ indicates the contributor was also the author of the fix; Thanks!
 * Verilator 3.65**
 
 **   Add --compiler msvc option.  This is now required when Verilated code
-     is to be run through MSVC++.  This also enables fixing error C1061,
-     blocks nested too deeply.  [Ralf Karge]
+     is to be run through MSVC++.  This also enables fixing MSVC++ error
+     C1061, blocks nested too deeply.  [Ralf Karge]
 
-**   Add --lint-only option.
+**   Add --lint-only option, to lint without creating other output.
 
 ***  Add /*verilator lint_save*/ and /*verilator lint_restore*/ to allow
-     friendly control over re-enabling lint messages. [Gerald Williams]
+     friendly control over re-enabling lint messages.  [Gerald Williams]
 
 ***  Support SystemVerilog .name and .* interconnect.
 
 ***  Support while and do-while loops.
 
+***  Use $(LINK) instead of $(CXX) for Makefile link rules.  [Gerald Williams]
+
+***  Add USER_CPPFLAGS and USER_LDFLAGS to Makefiles.  [Gerald Williams]
+
 **** Fix compile errors under Windows MINGW compiler.  [Gerald Williams]
 
 **** Fix dotted bit reference to local memory.  [Eugene Weber]
diff --git a/include/verilated.mk.in b/include/verilated.mk.in
index 83c846354..67a476564 100644
--- a/include/verilated.mk.in
+++ b/include/verilated.mk.in
@@ -49,7 +49,12 @@ VPATH += $(VERILATOR_ROOT)/include
 CPPFLAGS += $(OPT)
 
 CPPFLAGS += $(M32)
-LDFLAGS += $(M32)
+LDFLAGS  += $(M32)
+
+# Allow upper level user makefiles to specify flags they want.
+# These aren't ever set by Verilator, so users are free to override them.
+CPPFLAGS += $(USER_CPPFLAGS)
+LDFLAGS  += $(USER_LDFLAGS)
 
 # See the benchmarking section of bin/verilator.
 # Support class optimizations.  This includes the tracing and symbol table.
diff --git a/src/V3EmitMk.cpp b/src/V3EmitMk.cpp
index a90a8aa80..43632647a 100644
--- a/src/V3EmitMk.cpp
+++ b/src/V3EmitMk.cpp
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public:
 
 	    of.puts("\n# Link rules...\n");
 	    of.puts(v3Global.opt.prefix()+": $(VK_USER_OBJS) $(SP_SRCS) $(VM_PREFIX)__ALL.a\n");
-	    of.puts("\t$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt\n");
+	    of.puts("\t$(LINK) $(LDFLAGS) $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt\n");
 	    of.puts("\n");
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/Verilator.cpp b/src/Verilator.cpp
index 1a8387990..c0dcc7405 100644
--- a/src/Verilator.cpp
+++ b/src/Verilator.cpp
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ void process () {
     //--MODULE OPTIMIZATIONS--------------
 
     // Split deep blocks to appease MSVC++.  Must be before Localize.
-    if (v3Global.opt.compLimitBlocks()) {
+    if (!v3Global.opt.lintOnly() && v3Global.opt.compLimitBlocks()) {
 	V3DepthBlock::depthBlockAll(v3Global.rootp());
 	v3Global.rootp()->dumpTreeFile(v3Global.debugFilename("deepblock.tree"));
     }
diff --git a/test_c/Makefile_obj b/test_c/Makefile_obj
index ea2c36dce..b0984953c 100644
--- a/test_c/Makefile_obj
+++ b/test_c/Makefile_obj
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@ ifeq ($(VM_TRACE),1)
 endif
 
 simx: sim_main.o $(SP_SRCS) $(VM_PREFIX)__ALL.a
-	$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
+	$(LINK) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
 
 sim_main.o: sim_main.cpp $(VM_PREFIX).h
diff --git a/test_regress/Makefile_obj b/test_regress/Makefile_obj
index 624c7dd3d..c73fac543 100644
--- a/test_regress/Makefile_obj
+++ b/test_regress/Makefile_obj
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ endif
 
 #Default compile, using normal make rules
 #$(VM_PREFIX): $(SP_SRCS) $(VK_OBJS)
-#	$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
+#	$(LINK) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
 
 #Our own compile rules; Faster compile, all in one file
 $(VM_PREFIX)__ALLboth.cpp: $(VK_CLASSES_CPP) $(VK_SUPPORT_CPP)
@@ -54,5 +54,5 @@ $(VM_PREFIX)__ALLboth.o: $(VM_PREFIX)__ALLboth.cpp
 
 ifneq ($(MAKE_MAIN),0)
    $(VM_PREFIX): $(VM_PREFIX)__ALLboth.o
-	$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
+	$(LINK) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
 endif
diff --git a/test_sc/Makefile_obj b/test_sc/Makefile_obj
index 9fb04535c..aae953384 100644
--- a/test_sc/Makefile_obj
+++ b/test_sc/Makefile_obj
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ SC_LIB = $(SYSTEMC)/lib-$(VM_SC_TARGET_ARCH)/libsystemc.a
 
 simx: sc_main.o $(SP_SRCS) \
 	  $(VM_PREFIX)__ALL.a $(SC_LIB)
-	$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(SC_LIBS) $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
+	$(LINK) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(SC_LIBS) $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
 
 VPATH += ../test_sp
 
diff --git a/test_sp/Makefile_obj b/test_sp/Makefile_obj
index 9325a346f..252f6bf4f 100644
--- a/test_sp/Makefile_obj
+++ b/test_sp/Makefile_obj
@@ -36,6 +36,6 @@ SC_LIB = $(SYSTEMC)/lib-$(VM_SC_TARGET_ARCH)/libsystemc.a
 
 simx: sc_main.o $(SP_SRCS) \
 	  $(VM_PREFIX)__ALL.a $(SC_LIB)
-	$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(SC_LIBS) $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
+	$(LINK) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(SC_LIBS) $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
 
 sc_main.o: sc_main.cpp $(VM_PREFIX).h
diff --git a/test_verilated/Makefile_obj b/test_verilated/Makefile_obj
index 4f8638b78..4afdc6a60 100644
--- a/test_verilated/Makefile_obj
+++ b/test_verilated/Makefile_obj
@@ -32,6 +32,6 @@ SP_SRCS = verilated.o
 #SP_SRCS = sp_log.o SpTraceVcd.o
 
 simx: sim_main.o $(SP_SRCS) $(VM_PREFIX)__ALL.a
-	$(CXX) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
+	$(LINK) $(LDFLAGS) -g $^ $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) -o $@ $(LIBS) 2>&1 | c++filt
 
 sim_main.o: sim_main.cpp $(VM_PREFIX).h