diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 092d8d10..2c7d3095 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import os
+
 # XXX path separator fixed right now
 opts = Options()
 opts.Add('PSS_STYLE', 'Path separator style', 1)
@@ -7,34 +9,38 @@ env = Environment(options = opts,
                   CPPDEFINES={'PSS_STYLE' : '${PSS_STYLE}',
                               'LSB_FIRST' : '${LSB_FIRST}'})
 
-#bring in environment CCFLAGS and LINKFLAGS
-import os
-if os.environ.has_key('CCFLAGS'):
-  env['CCFLAGS'] = os.environ['CCFLAGS'];
-if os.environ.has_key('LINKFLAGS'):
-  env['LINKFLAGS'] = os.environ['LINKFLAGS'];
+if os.environ.has_key('CC'):
+  env.Replace(CC = os.environ['CC'])
+if os.environ.has_key('CFLAGS'):
+  env.Append(CCFLAGS = os.environ['CFLAGS'])
+if os.environ.has_key('LDFLAGS'):
+  env.Append(LINKFLAGS = os.environ['LDFLAGS'])
 
 print "platform: ", env['PLATFORM']
 
-#special flags for cygwin
-#we have to do this here so that the function and lib checks will go through mingw
+# special flags for cygwin
+# we have to do this here so that the function and lib checks will go through
+# mingw
 if env['PLATFORM'] == 'cygwin':
-  env['CCFLAGS'] += "-mno-cygwin";
-  env['LINKFLAGS'] += "-mno-cygwin";
+  env.Append(CCFLAGS = " -mno-cygwin")
+  env.Append(LINKFLAGS = " -mno-cygwin")
   env['LIBS'] = ['ddraw','dinput','dsound','gdi32','dxguid','winmm','shell32','wsock32','comdlg32','ole32'];
 
 conf = Configure(env)
 if not conf.CheckLib('SDL'):
-  print 'Did not find libSDL.a or SDL.lib, exiting!'
+  print 'Did not find libSDL or SDL.lib, exiting!'
   Exit(1)
 if not conf.CheckLib('z'):
-  print 'Did not find libz.a or z.lib, exiting!'
+  print 'Did not find libz or z.lib, exiting!'
   Exit(1)
 if conf.CheckFunc('asprintf'):
-  conf.env['CCFLAGS'] += " -DHAVE_ASPRINTF";
-
+  conf.env.Append(CCFLAGS = " -DHAVE_ASPRINTF")
 
 env = conf.Finish()
+
+# parse SDL cflags/libs
+env.ParseConfig('sdl-config --cflags --libs')
+
 Export('env')
 
 SConscript(['src/SConscript'])
diff --git a/src/SConscript b/src/SConscript
index 1f8193db..d586a824 100644
--- a/src/SConscript
+++ b/src/SConscript
@@ -28,51 +28,21 @@ x6502.cpp
 movie.cpp
 unzip.c""")
 
-Export('file_list')
+subdirs = Split("""
+boards
+drivers/common
+drivers/sdl
+fir
+input
+mappers""")
+#palettes
 
-SConscript(Split("""
-boards/SConscript
-input/SConscript
-fir/SConscript
-mappers/SConscript
-drivers/common/SConscript
-drivers/sdl/SConscript
-"""))
-#palettes/SConscript
-Import('file_list')
+for dir in subdirs:
+  subdir_files = SConscript('%s/SConscript' % dir)
+  file_list.append(subdir_files)
 
 Import('env')
-                              
-# use sdl-config to get the cflags and libpath
-import os;
-sdl_cflags_pipe = os.popen("sdl-config --cflags");
-sdl_cflags = sdl_cflags_pipe.read();
-sdl_cflags = sdl_cflags.rstrip(os.linesep);
-sdl_cflags_pipe.close();
-
-sdl_libpath = [];
-sdl_libs = [];
-
-sdl_libflags_pipe = os.popen("sdl-config --libs");
-sdl_libflags = sdl_libflags_pipe.read();
-for flag in sdl_libflags.split(' '):
-    if flag.find("-L") == 0:
-        sdl_libpath.append(flag.strip("-L"));
-    elif flag.find("-l") == 0:
-        sdl_libs.append(flag.strip("-l"));
-    else:
-        print "extra link flag: ", flag;
-        env['LINKFLAGS'] += " " + flag;
-        
-sdl_libflags_pipe.close();
-
-# add zlib and sdl libs
-env['LIBS'].append('z');
-env['LIBS'].extend(sdl_libs);
-
-# include sdl cflags
-env['CCFLAGS'] += " " + sdl_cflags;
 
 print env['LINKFLAGS']
 
-env.Program('fceu', file_list, LIBPATH=sdl_libpath)
+env.Program('fceu', file_list)
diff --git a/src/boards/SConscript b/src/boards/SConscript
index 2ed3a913..a9a53411 100644
--- a/src/boards/SConscript
+++ b/src/boards/SConscript
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-Import('file_list')
 my_list =  Split("""
 01-222.cpp
 112.cpp
@@ -54,8 +53,7 @@ supervision.cpp
 t-262.cpp
 tengen.cpp
 """)
+
 for x in range(len(my_list)):
   my_list[x] = 'boards/' + my_list[x]
-file_list = my_list + file_list
-
-Export('file_list')
+Return('my_list')
diff --git a/src/drivers/common/SConscript b/src/drivers/common/SConscript
index 1fe1a4e7..94f47a8e 100644
--- a/src/drivers/common/SConscript
+++ b/src/drivers/common/SConscript
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-Import('file_list')
 my_list = Split("""
 args.cpp
 cheat.cpp
@@ -10,7 +9,7 @@ scale3x.cpp
 scalebit.cpp
 vidblit.cpp
 """)
+
 for x in range(len(my_list)):
   my_list[x] = 'drivers/common/' + my_list[x]
-file_list = my_list + file_list
-Export('file_list')
+Return('my_list')
diff --git a/src/drivers/sdl/SConscript b/src/drivers/sdl/SConscript
index e144e98c..ce10fb78 100644
--- a/src/drivers/sdl/SConscript
+++ b/src/drivers/sdl/SConscript
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-Import('file_list')
 my_list =  Split("""
 input.cpp
 main.cpp
@@ -14,8 +13,6 @@ unix-netplay.cpp
 #sdl-opengl.cpp
 #sdl-opengl.h
 
-
 for x in range(len(my_list)):
   my_list[x] = 'drivers/sdl/' + my_list[x]
-file_list = my_list + file_list
-Export('file_list')
+Return('my_list')
diff --git a/src/fir/SConscript b/src/fir/SConscript
index ecdc9f9e..ef06e5d7 100644
--- a/src/fir/SConscript
+++ b/src/fir/SConscript
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
-Import('file_list')
 my_list = Split("""
 """)
+
 for x in range(len(my_list)):
   my_list[x] = 'fir/' + my_list[x]
-file_list = my_list + file_list
-Export('file_list')
+Return('my_list')
diff --git a/src/input/SConscript b/src/input/SConscript
index b929f155..d4f47fbb 100644
--- a/src/input/SConscript
+++ b/src/input/SConscript
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-Import('file_list')
 my_list =  Split("""
 arkanoid.cpp
 bworld.cpp
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ suborkb.cpp
 toprider.cpp
 zapper.cpp
 """)
+
 for x in range(len(my_list)):
   my_list[x] = 'input/' + my_list[x]
-file_list = my_list + file_list
-Export('file_list')
+Return('my_list')
diff --git a/src/mappers/SConscript b/src/mappers/SConscript
index afa1507c..371ecc08 100644
--- a/src/mappers/SConscript
+++ b/src/mappers/SConscript
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-Import('file_list')
 my_list =   Split("""
 151.cpp
 15.cpp
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ emu2413.c
 mmc2and4.cpp
 simple.cpp
 """)
+
 for x in range(len(my_list)):
   my_list[x] = 'mappers/' + my_list[x]
-file_list = my_list + file_list
-Export('file_list')
+Return('my_list')