diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_SITE b/configure/CONFIG_SITE
index 5ac123e..99b355f 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_SITE
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_SITE
@@ -18,3 +18,9 @@ CROSS_COMPILER_TARGET_ARCHS =
 # Extensions don't normally build shared libraries
 SHARED_LIBRARIES = NO
 
+# These allow developers to override the CONFIG_SITE variable
+# settings without having to modify the configure/CONFIG_SITE
+# file itself.
+-include $(TOP)/../CONFIG_SITE.local
+-include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_SITE.local
+
diff --git a/configure/RELEASE b/configure/RELEASE
index 9363e55..6f29558 100644
--- a/configure/RELEASE
+++ b/configure/RELEASE
@@ -23,3 +23,11 @@ EPICS_BASE=$(TOP)/../base
 EPICS_EXTENSIONS=$(TOP)
 
 OAG_APPS=$(TOP)/../../oag/apps
+
+
+
+# These allow developers to override the RELEASE variable settings
+# without having to modify the configure/RELEASE file itself.
+-include $(TOP)/../RELEASE.local
+-include $(TOP)/configure/RELEASE.local
+
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86_64.linux-x86_64 b/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86_64.linux-x86_64
index 8179885..31730b9 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86_64.linux-x86_64
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86_64.linux-x86_64
@@ -43,6 +43,21 @@ SCIPLOT=YES
 #MOTIF_LIB=/usr/lib
 #MOTIF_INC=/usr/include
 
+LINUX_DISTRO = $(shell sh -c '$(TOP)/epicsextfinddist.sh || echo PWD=$$PWD TOP=$(TOP)')
+
+ifeq ($(shell expr "$(LINUX_DISTRO)" : 'Debian[89]'),7)
+    X11_LIB=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/
+    X11_INC=/usr/include
+    MOTIF_LIB=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
+    MOTIF_INC=/usr/include
+endif
+
+build: echolinuxdistro
+
+echolinuxdistro:
+	@echo Info from CONFIG_SITE.linux-x86_64.linux-x86_64: LINUX_DISTRO=$(LINUX_DISTRO)
+
+
 # Ubuntu 12 64-bit is at Python 2.6
 #PYTHON_DIR=/usr/lib/python2.6
 #PYTHON_INCLUDE=/usr/include/python2.6
diff --git a/epicsextfinddist.sh b/epicsextfinddist.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7022ebf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/epicsextfinddist.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Find out the Linux distribution
+# Ideas stolen from here:
+#   https://github.com/jeonghanlee/pkg_automation/blob/master/pkg_automation.bash
+
+if [ -x /usr/bin/lsb_release ] ; then
+  dist_id=$(lsb_release -is)
+  dist_cn=$(lsb_release -cs)
+  dist_rs=$(lsb_release -rs)
+  tmpdist=$dist_id${dist_cn}${dist_rs}
+elif [ -r /usr/bin/lsb_release ] ; then
+  eval $(grep "^ID=" /etc/os-release)
+  eval $(grep "^VERSION_ID=" /etc/os-release)
+  tmpdist=$ID$VERSION_ID
+else
+  tmpdist=Unknown
+fi
+
+case "$tmpdist" in
+  [dD]ebian*8*)
+   echo Debian8
+   ;;
+  [dD]ebian*9*)
+    echo Debian9
+    ;;
+  Raspbian*8*)
+    echo Raspbian8
+    ;;
+  Raspbian*9*)
+    echo Raspbian9
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo Unsupported $tmpdist
+    ;;
+esac