diff --git a/make/bsd/makefiles/minimal1.make b/make/bsd/makefiles/minimal1.make
index 42d794ab7472528b9505db386ddfdf896b7c03b1..d045db79099e294a1c848f8639782d0277a4b992 100644
--- a/make/bsd/makefiles/minimal1.make
+++ b/make/bsd/makefiles/minimal1.make
@@ -24,16 +24,20 @@
 
 TYPE=MINIMAL1
 
-INCLUDE_JVMTI ?= false
-INCLUDE_FPROF ?= false
-INCLUDE_VM_STRUCTS ?= false
-INCLUDE_JNI_CHECK ?= false
-INCLUDE_SERVICES ?= false
-INCLUDE_MANAGEMENT ?= false
-INCLUDE_ALL_GCS ?= false
-INCLUDE_NMT ?= false
-INCLUDE_TRACE ?= false
-INCLUDE_CDS ?= false
+# Force all variables to false, overriding any other
+# setting that may have occurred in the makefiles. These
+# can still be overridden by passing the variable as an
+# argument to 'make'
+INCLUDE_JVMTI := false
+INCLUDE_FPROF := false
+INCLUDE_VM_STRUCTS := false
+INCLUDE_JNI_CHECK := false
+INCLUDE_SERVICES := false
+INCLUDE_MANAGEMENT := false
+INCLUDE_ALL_GCS := false
+INCLUDE_NMT := false
+INCLUDE_TRACE := false
+INCLUDE_CDS := false
 
 CXXFLAGS += -DMINIMAL_JVM -DCOMPILER1 -DVMTYPE=\"Minimal\"
 CFLAGS += -DMINIMAL_JVM -DCOMPILER1 -DVMTYPE=\"Minimal\"
diff --git a/make/linux/makefiles/minimal1.make b/make/linux/makefiles/minimal1.make
index 42d794ab7472528b9505db386ddfdf896b7c03b1..d045db79099e294a1c848f8639782d0277a4b992 100644
--- a/make/linux/makefiles/minimal1.make
+++ b/make/linux/makefiles/minimal1.make
@@ -24,16 +24,20 @@
 
 TYPE=MINIMAL1
 
-INCLUDE_JVMTI ?= false
-INCLUDE_FPROF ?= false
-INCLUDE_VM_STRUCTS ?= false
-INCLUDE_JNI_CHECK ?= false
-INCLUDE_SERVICES ?= false
-INCLUDE_MANAGEMENT ?= false
-INCLUDE_ALL_GCS ?= false
-INCLUDE_NMT ?= false
-INCLUDE_TRACE ?= false
-INCLUDE_CDS ?= false
+# Force all variables to false, overriding any other
+# setting that may have occurred in the makefiles. These
+# can still be overridden by passing the variable as an
+# argument to 'make'
+INCLUDE_JVMTI := false
+INCLUDE_FPROF := false
+INCLUDE_VM_STRUCTS := false
+INCLUDE_JNI_CHECK := false
+INCLUDE_SERVICES := false
+INCLUDE_MANAGEMENT := false
+INCLUDE_ALL_GCS := false
+INCLUDE_NMT := false
+INCLUDE_TRACE := false
+INCLUDE_CDS := false
 
 CXXFLAGS += -DMINIMAL_JVM -DCOMPILER1 -DVMTYPE=\"Minimal\"
 CFLAGS += -DMINIMAL_JVM -DCOMPILER1 -DVMTYPE=\"Minimal\"