diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21172c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# makefile variables and rules shared by both gkrellm and gkrellmd
+
+CC ?= gcc
+AR ?= ar
+PKG_CONFIG ?= pkg-config
+WINDRES ?= windres
+
+PREFIX ?= /usr/local
+INSTALLROOT ?= $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)
+
+BINMODE ?= 755
+BINEXT ?=
+
+INSTALLDIRMODE ?= 755
+
+INCLUDEDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/include
+INCLUDEMODE ?= 644
+INCLUDEDIRMODE ?= 755
+
+LIBDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/lib
+LIBDIRMODE ?= 755
+
+MANMODE ?= 644
+MANDIRMODE ?= 755
+
+INSTALL ?= install
+STRIP ?= -s
+LINK_FLAGS ?= -Wl,-E
+
+SHARED_PATH = ../shared
+# Make GNU Make search for sources somewhere else as well
+VPATH = $(SHARED_PATH)
+
+%.o: %.c
+	$(CC) -c -Wall $(FLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $< -o $@
diff --git a/server/Makefile b/server/Makefile
index 290fd20..301f51f 100644
--- a/server/Makefile
+++ b/server/Makefile
@@ -1,35 +1,16 @@
-PACKAGE_D ?= gkrellmd
-PKG_CONFIG ?= pkg-config
-BINMODE ?= 755
-BINEXT ?=
+include ../common.mk
 
-PREFIX ?= /usr/local
-INSTALLROOT ?= $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)
+PACKAGE_D ?= gkrellmd
 
 SINSTALLDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/bin
-INSTALLDIRMODE ?= 755
-
-INCLUDEDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/include
-INCLUDEMODE ?= 644
-INCLUDEDIRMODE ?= 755
-
-LIBDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/lib
-LIBDIRMODE ?= 755
 
 CFGDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/etc
 CFGDIRMODE ?= 755
 CFGMODE ?= 644
 
 SMANDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/share/man/man1
-MANMODE ?= 644
-MANDIRMODE ?= 755
-INSTALL ?= install
-LINK_FLAGS ?= -Wl,-E
-EXTRAOBJS =
 
-SHARED_PATH = ../shared
-# Make GNU Make search for sources somewhere else as well
-VPATH = $(SHARED_PATH)
+EXTRAOBJS =
 
 ifeq ($(without-libsensors),yes)
 	CONFIGURE_ARGS += --without-libsensors
@@ -45,11 +26,6 @@ ifeq ($(HAVE_LIBSENSORS),1)
     SENSORS_LIBS ?= -lsensors
 endif
 
-
-CC ?= gcc
-WINDRES ?= windres
-STRIP ?= -s
-
 GKRELLMD_INCLUDES = gkrellmd.h $(SHARED_PATH)/log.h
 
 PKG_INCLUDE = `$(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags glib-2.0 gmodule-2.0 gthread-2.0`
@@ -234,11 +210,8 @@ win32-resource.o:	win32-resource.rc win32-resource.h
 	$(WINDRES) $< -o $@
 win32-libgkrellmd.o:	win32-libgkrellmd.c win32-plugin.h $(GKRELLMD_H)
 libgkrellmd.a:	win32-libgkrellmd.o
-	ar -cr libgkrellmd.a win32-libgkrellmd.o
+	$(AR) -cr libgkrellmd.a win32-libgkrellmd.o
 
 # Checks if the build environment is ok
 check_env:
 	$(PKG_CONFIG) --atleast-version=2.32 glib-2.0
-
-%.o: %.c
-	$(CC) -c -Wall $(FLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $< -o $@
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index f73a143..e385825 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -1,31 +1,13 @@
-PACKAGE ?= gkrellm
-PKG_CONFIG ?= pkg-config
-BINMODE ?= 755
-BINEXT ?=
+include ../common.mk
 
-PREFIX ?= /usr/local
-INSTALLROOT ?= $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)
+PACKAGE ?= gkrellm
 
 INSTALLDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/bin
-INSTALLDIRMODE ?= 755
-INCLUDEDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/include
-INCLUDEMODE ?= 644
-INCLUDEDIRMODE ?= 755
-LIBDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/lib
-LIBDIRMODE ?= 755
 MANDIR ?= $(INSTALLROOT)/share/man/man1
-MANMODE ?= 644
-MANDIRMODE ?= 755
-INSTALL ?= install
-LINK_FLAGS ?= -Wl,-E
+
 X11_LIBS ?= -L/usr/X11R6/lib -lX11 -lSM -lICE
 MATH_LIB ?= -lm
 
-SHARED_PATH = ../shared
-# Make GNU Make search for sources somewhere else as well
-VPATH = $(SHARED_PATH)
-
-
 ifeq ($(without-gnutls),1)
 	CONFIGURE_ARGS += --without-gnutls
 endif
@@ -60,10 +42,6 @@ ifneq ($(HAVE_SSL),1)
     EXTRAOBJS ?= md5c.o
 endif
 
-CC ?= gcc
-WINDRES ?= windres
-STRIP ?= -s
-
 GKRELLM_INCLUDES = gkrellm.h gkrellm-public-proto.h $(SHARED_PATH)/log.h
 
 PKG_INCLUDE = `$(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags gtk+-2.0 gmodule-2.0 gthread-2.0`
@@ -348,12 +326,9 @@ win32-resource.o: win32-resource.rc win32-resource.h
 	$(WINDRES) $< -o $@
 
 libgkrellm.a: win32-libgkrellm.o
-	ar -cr libgkrellm.a win32-libgkrellm.o
+	$(AR) -cr libgkrellm.a win32-libgkrellm.o
 
 # Checks if the build environment is ok
 check_env:
 	$(PKG_CONFIG) --atleast-version=2.32 glib-2.0
 	$(PKG_CONFIG) --atleast-version=2.4 gtk+-2.0
-
-%.o: %.c
-	$(CC) -c -Wall $(FLAGS) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) $< -o $@