diff --git a/src/Rules.LXifort.mk b/src/Rules.LXifort.mk
index ef172c41925f4a1c1ac26b81b7aa4256c5474741..1865c21a8cbe490c0916f59cf64572ad7b65dda9 100644
--- a/src/Rules.LXifort.mk
+++ b/src/Rules.LXifort.mk
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ FC = ifort
 ifeq "$(VER_MPI)" "MPIAUTO"
 ifneq "$(findstring TAU,$(XYZ))" ""
 F90 = tau_f90.sh 
-export TAU_MAKEFILE=/home/escj/PATCH/TAU/TAU-2.21.1-IFORT10-OMPI152-THREAD/x86_64/lib/Makefile.tau-mpi
+export TAU_MAKEFILE?=/home/escj/PATCH/TAU/TAU-2.21.1-IFORT10-OMPI152-THREAD/x86_64/lib/Makefile.tau-mpi
 LIBS += -lz 
 else
 F90 = mpif90