diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c5ec6d1c6..b1560a2ba 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ export Q
 $(eval $(call add_define,DEBUG))
 ifneq (${DEBUG}, 0)
         BUILD_TYPE	:=	debug
-        CFLAGS		+= 	-g
+        TF_CFLAGS	+= 	-g
         ASFLAGS		+= 	-g -Wa,--gdwarf-2
         # Use LOG_LEVEL_INFO by default for debug builds
         LOG_LEVEL	:=	40
@@ -179,12 +179,12 @@ ASFLAGS			+= 	-nostdinc -ffreestanding -Wa,--fatal-warnings	\
 				-Werror -Wmissing-include-dirs			\
 				-mgeneral-regs-only -D__ASSEMBLY__		\
 				${DEFINES} ${INCLUDES}
-CFLAGS			+= 	-nostdinc -ffreestanding -Wall			\
+TF_CFLAGS		+= 	-nostdinc -ffreestanding -Wall			\
 				-Werror -Wmissing-include-dirs			\
 				-mgeneral-regs-only -mstrict-align		\
 				-std=c99 -c -Os					\
 				${DEFINES} ${INCLUDES}
-CFLAGS			+=	-ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
+TF_CFLAGS		+=	-ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
 
 LDFLAGS			+=	--fatal-warnings -O1
 LDFLAGS			+=	--gc-sections
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ endif
 
 # Check if -pedantic option should be used
 ifeq (${DISABLE_PEDANTIC},0)
-        CFLAGS		+= 	-pedantic
+        TF_CFLAGS	+= 	-pedantic
 endif
 
 # Using the ARM Trusted Firmware BL2 implies that a BL33 image also needs to be
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ msg_start:
 
 # Check if deprecated declarations should be treated as error or not.
 ifeq (${ERROR_DEPRECATED},0)
-    CFLAGS		+= 	-Wno-error=deprecated-declarations
+    TF_CFLAGS		+= 	-Wno-error=deprecated-declarations
 endif
 
 # Expand build macros for the different images
diff --git a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
index 5171ff006..c963b7afd 100644
--- a/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/build_macros.mk
@@ -208,11 +208,11 @@ $(eval IMAGE := IMAGE_BL$(call uppercase,$(3)))
 
 $(OBJ): $(2)
 	@echo "  CC      $$<"
-	$$(Q)$$(CC) $$(CFLAGS) -D$(IMAGE) -c $$< -o $$@
+	$$(Q)$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -D$(IMAGE) -c $$< -o $$@
 
 $(PREREQUISITES): $(2) | bl$(3)_dirs
 	@echo "  DEPS    $$@"
-	$$(Q)$$(CC) $$(CFLAGS) -M -MT $(OBJ) -MF $$@ $$<
+	$$(Q)$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -M -MT $(OBJ) -MF $$@ $$<
 
 ifdef IS_ANYTHING_TO_BUILD
 -include $(PREREQUISITES)
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ ifdef MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS
 else
 	@echo 'const char build_message[] = "Built : "$(BUILD_MESSAGE_TIMESTAMP); \
 	       const char version_string[] = "${VERSION_STRING}";' | \
-		$$(CC) $$(CFLAGS) -xc - -o $(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o
+		$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -xc - -o $(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o
 endif
 	$$(Q)$$(LD) -o $$@ $$(LDFLAGS) -Map=$(MAPFILE) --script $(LINKERFILE) \
 					$(BUILD_DIR)/build_message.o $(OBJS)
diff --git a/make_helpers/windows.mk b/make_helpers/windows.mk
index 8ac82460f..fe5e8c1fe 100644
--- a/make_helpers/windows.mk
+++ b/make_helpers/windows.mk
@@ -104,6 +104,6 @@ BUILT_TIME_DATE_STRING = const char build_message[] = "Built : "${BUILD_MESSAGE_
 VERSION_STRING_MESSAGE = const char version_string[] = "${VERSION_STRING}";
 define MAKE_BUILD_STRINGS
 	@echo $$(BUILT_TIME_DATE_STRING) $$(VERSION_STRING_MESSAGE) | \
-		$$(CC) $$(CFLAGS) -x c - -o $1
+		$$(CC) $$(TF_CFLAGS) $$(CFLAGS) -x c - -o $1
 endef