diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
--- a/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@ regen-re: $(BUILDPYTHON)
 	$(RUNSHARED) ./$(BUILDPYTHON) $(srcdir)/Tools/scripts/generate_re_casefix.py $(srcdir)/Lib/re/_casefix.py
 
 Programs/_testembed: Programs/_testembed.o $(LINK_PYTHON_DEPS)
-	$(LINKCC) $(PY_CORE_LDFLAGS) $(LINKFORSHARED) -o $@ Programs/_testembed.o $(LINK_PYTHON_OBJS) $(LIBS) $(MODLIBS) $(SYSLIBS)
+	$(CC) $(PY_CORE_LDFLAGS) $(LINKFORSHARED) -o $@ Programs/_testembed.o $(LINK_PYTHON_OBJS) $(LIBS) $(MODLIBS) $(SYSLIBS)
 
 ############################################################################
 # "Bootstrap Python" used to run deepfreeze.py
@@ -1253,7 +1253,7 @@ Programs/python.o: $(srcdir)/Programs/python.c
 	$(MAINCC) -c $(PY_CORE_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(srcdir)/Programs/python.c
 
 Programs/_testembed.o: $(srcdir)/Programs/_testembed.c Programs/test_frozenmain.h
-	$(MAINCC) -c $(PY_CORE_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(srcdir)/Programs/_testembed.c
+	$(CC) -c $(PY_CORE_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(srcdir)/Programs/_testembed.c
 
 Modules/_sre/sre.o: $(srcdir)/Modules/_sre/sre.c $(srcdir)/Modules/_sre/sre.h $(srcdir)/Modules/_sre/sre_constants.h $(srcdir)/Modules/_sre/sre_lib.h
 

.