diff --git a/kiwixbuild/buildenv.py b/kiwixbuild/buildenv.py
index c4bcacb1..281a8fd2 100644
--- a/kiwixbuild/buildenv.py
+++ b/kiwixbuild/buildenv.py
@@ -21,16 +21,20 @@ def __init__(self):
                   self.log_dir):
             os.makedirs(d, exist_ok=True)
         self.detect_platform()
-        self.ninja_command = self._detect_ninja()
-        if not self.ninja_command:
-            sys.exit("ERROR: ninja command not found.")
-        self.meson_command = self._detect_meson()
-        if not self.meson_command:
-            sys.exit("ERROR: meson command not found.")
-        self.qmake_command = self._detect_qmake()
-        if not self.qmake_command:
-            print("WARNING: qmake command not found.", file=sys.stderr)
+        self.ninja_command = self._detect_command(
+            'ninja',
+            default=[['ninja'], ['ninja-build']])
+        self.meson_command = self._detect_command(
+            'meson',
+            default= [['meson.py'], ['meson']])
         self.mesontest_command = [*self.meson_command, "test"]
+        self.patch_command = self._detect_command('patch')
+        self.git_command = self._detect_command('git')
+        self.svn_command = self._detect_command('svn')
+        self.make_command = self._detect_command('make')
+        self.cmake_command = self._detect_command('cmake')
+        self.qmake_command = self._detect_command('qmake', required=False)
+
 
     def detect_platform(self):
         _platform = platform.system()
@@ -49,28 +53,29 @@ def detect_platform(self):
     def download(self, what, where=None):
         where = where or self.archive_dir
         download_remote(what, where)
-
-    def _detect_binary(self, *bin_variants):
-        for n in bin_variants:
+    
+
+    def _detect_command(self, name, default=None, options=['--version'], required=True):
+        if default is None:
+            default = [[name]]
+        env_key = 'KBUILD_{}_COMMAND'.format(name.upper())
+        if env_key in os.environ:
+            default = [os.environ[env_key].split()] + default
+        for command in default:
             try:
-                retcode = subprocess.check_call([n, '--version'],
+                retcode = subprocess.check_call(command + options,
                                                 stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL)
-            except (FileNotFoundError, PermissionError):
+            except (FileNotFoundError, PermissionError, OSError):
                 # Doesn't exist in PATH or isn't executable
                 continue
             if retcode == 0:
-                return [n]
-
-
-    def _detect_ninja(self):
-        return self._detect_binary('ninja', 'ninja-build')
-
-    def _detect_meson(self):
-        return self._detect_binary('meson.py', 'meson')
-
-    def _detect_qmake(self):
-        return self._detect_binary('qmake-qt5', 'qmake')
-
+                return command
+        else:
+            if required:
+                sys.exit("ERROR: {} command not found".format(name))
+            else:
+                print("WARNING: {} command not found".format(name))
+                return ["{}_NOT_FOUND".format(name.upper())]
 
 class BuildEnv:
     def __init__(self, platformInfo):
diff --git a/kiwixbuild/dependencies/base.py b/kiwixbuild/dependencies/base.py
index 1ead98c9..5b2e8329 100644
--- a/kiwixbuild/dependencies/base.py
+++ b/kiwixbuild/dependencies/base.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def _patch(self, context):
         context.try_skip(self.source_path)
         for p in self.patches:
             patch_file_path = pj(SCRIPT_DIR, 'patches', p)
-            patch_command = ["patch", "-p1", "-i", patch_file_path]
+            patch_command = [*neutralEnv('patch_command'), "-p1", "-i", patch_file_path]
             run_command(patch_command, self.source_path, context)
 
     def command(self, name, function, *args):
@@ -170,19 +170,19 @@ def git_ref(self):
 
     def _git_init(self, context):
         if option('fast_clone') and self.force_full_clone == False:
-            command = ["git", "clone" , "--depth=1", "--branch", self.git_ref, self.git_remote, self.source_dir]
+            command = [*neutralEnv('git_command'), "clone" , "--depth=1", "--branch", self.git_ref, self.git_remote, self.source_dir]
             run_command(command, neutralEnv('source_dir'), context)
         else:
-            command = ["git", "clone", self.git_remote, self.source_dir]
+            command = [*neutralEnv('git_command'), "clone", self.git_remote, self.source_dir]
             run_command(command, neutralEnv('source_dir'), context)
-            command = ["git", "checkout", self.git_ref]
+            command = [*neutralEnv('git_command'), "checkout", self.git_ref]
             run_command(command, self.git_path, context)
 
     def _git_update(self, context):
-        command = ["git", "fetch", "origin", self.git_ref]
+        command = [*neutralEnv('git_command'), "fetch", "origin", self.git_ref]
         run_command(command, self.git_path, context)
         try:
-            command = ["git", "merge", "--ff-only", f"origin/{self.git_ref}"]
+            command = [*neutralEnv('git_command'), "merge", "--ff-only", f"origin/{self.git_ref}"]
             run_command(command, self.git_path, context)
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
             raise WarningMessage("Cannot update, please check log for information")
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ def _svn_export(self, context):
         if os.path.exists(self.svn_path):
             raise SkipCommand()
         command = [
-            "svn", "export",
+            *neutralEnv('svn_command'), "export",
             self.svn_remote, self.svn_dir
         ]
         run_command(command, neutralEnv('source_dir'), context)
@@ -408,7 +408,8 @@ def _compile(self, context):
         context.try_skip(self.build_path)
         command = [
             *self.buildEnv.make_wrapper,
-            "make", "-j4",
+            *neutralEnv('make_command'),
+            "-j4",
             *self.make_targets,
             *self.make_options
         ]
@@ -419,7 +420,7 @@ def _install(self, context):
         context.try_skip(self.build_path)
         command = [
             *self.buildEnv.make_wrapper,
-            "make",
+            *neutralEnv('make_command'),
             *self.make_install_targets,
             *self.make_options
         ]
@@ -430,7 +431,8 @@ def _make_dist(self, context):
         context.try_skip(self.build_path)
         command = [
             *self.buildEnv.make_wrapper,
-            "make", "dist"
+            *neutralEnv('make_command'),
+            "dist"
         ]
         env = self.get_env(cross_comp_flags=True, cross_compilers=True, cross_path=True)
         run_command(command, self.build_path, context, env=env)
@@ -445,7 +447,7 @@ def _configure(self, context):
         if not self.target.force_native_build and self.buildEnv.cmake_crossfile:
             cross_options += [f"-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE={self.buildEnv.cmake_crossfile}"]
         command = [
-            "cmake",
+            *neutralEnv('cmake_command'),
             *self.configure_options,
             "-DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE:BOOL=ON",
             f"-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX={self.buildEnv.install_dir}",
@@ -476,10 +478,10 @@ def env_options(self):
     def _configure(self, context):
         context.try_skip(self.build_path)
         command = [
-            *neutralEnv('qmake_command'),
-            *self.configure_options,
-            *self.env_options,
-            self.source_path,
+            "qmake",
+             *self.configure_options,
+             *self.env_options,
+             self.source_path
         ]
         env = self.get_env(cross_comp_flags=True, cross_compilers=False, cross_path=True)
         self.set_configure_env(env)
@@ -487,7 +489,7 @@ def _configure(self, context):
 
     def _make_dist(self, context):
         command = [
-            "git", "archive",
+            *neutralEnv('git_command'), "archive",
             "-o", f"{self.build_path}/{self.target_full_name()}.tar.gz",
             f"--prefix={self.target_full_name()}/",
             "HEAD"