diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 24786e4a..28d2a45e 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@
 # If debugging is desired, then GNU make can be invoked with
 # DEBUG=1 on the command line.
 #
+# When building compiler optimized binaries with the gcc or clang 
+# compilers, invoking GNU make with LTO=1 on the command line will 
+# cause the build to use Link Time Optimization to maximally optimize 
+# the results.  Link Time Optimization can report errors which aren't 
+# otherwise detected and will also take significantly longer to 
+# complete.
+#
 # The default build will run per simulator tests if they are 
 # available.  If building without running tests is desired, 
 # then GNU make should be invoked with TESTS=0 on the command 
@@ -485,7 +492,7 @@ ifeq (${WIN32},)  #*nix Environments (&& cygwin)
                 endif
                 OS_CCDEFS += -D_HPUX_SOURCE -D_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE
                 OS_LDFLAGS += -Wl,+b:
-                NO_LTO = 1
+                LTO =
               else
                 LIBEXT = a
               endif
@@ -509,14 +516,6 @@ ifeq (${WIN32},)  #*nix Environments (&& cygwin)
     endif
     export CPATH = $(subst $() $(),:,$(INCPATH))
     export LIBRARY_PATH = $(subst $() $(),:,$(LIBPATH))
-    # Some gcc versions don't support LTO, so only use LTO when the compiler is known to support it
-    ifeq (,$(NO_LTO))
-      ifneq (,$(GCC_VERSION))
-        ifeq (,$(shell ${GCC} -v /dev/null 2>&1 | grep '\-\-enable-lto'))
-          LTO_EXCLUDE_VERSIONS += $(GCC_VERSION)
-        endif
-      endif
-    endif
   endif
   $(info lib paths are: ${LIBPATH})
   $(info include paths are: ${INCPATH})
@@ -1268,18 +1267,13 @@ ifneq ($(DEBUG),)
   CFLAGS_G = -g -ggdb -g3
   CFLAGS_O = -O0
   BUILD_FEATURES = - debugging support
+  LTO =
 else
   ifneq (,$(findstring clang,$(COMPILER_NAME))$(findstring LLVM,$(COMPILER_NAME)))
     CFLAGS_O = -O2 -fno-strict-overflow
-    GCC_OPTIMIZERS_CMD = ${GCC} --help
-    NO_LTO = 1
+    GCC_OPTIMIZERS_CMD = ${GCC} --help 2>&1
   else
-    NO_LTO = 1
-    ifeq (Darwin,$(OSTYPE))
-      CFLAGS_O += -O4 -flto -fwhole-program
-    else
-      CFLAGS_O := -O2
-    endif
+    CFLAGS_O := -O2
   endif
   LDFLAGS_O = 
   GCC_MAJOR_VERSION = $(firstword $(subst  ., ,$(GCC_VERSION)))
@@ -1295,9 +1289,6 @@ else
   ifneq (,$(GCC_COMMON_CMD))
     GCC_OPTIMIZERS += $(shell $(GCC_COMMON_CMD))
   endif
-  ifneq (,$(findstring $(GCC_VERSION),$(LTO_EXCLUDE_VERSIONS)))
-    NO_LTO = 1
-  endif
   ifneq (,$(findstring -finline-functions,$(GCC_OPTIMIZERS)))
     CFLAGS_O += -finline-functions
   endif
@@ -1316,13 +1307,19 @@ else
   ifneq (,$(findstring -fstrict-overflow,$(GCC_OPTIMIZERS)))
     CFLAGS_O += -fno-strict-overflow
   endif
-  ifeq (,$(NO_LTO))
+  ifneq (,$(findstring $(GCC_VERSION),$(LTO_EXCLUDE_VERSIONS)))
+    LTO =
+  endif
+  ifneq (,$(LTO))
     ifneq (,$(findstring -flto,$(GCC_OPTIMIZERS)))
-      CFLAGS_O += -flto -fwhole-program
-      LDFLAGS_O += -flto -fwhole-program
+      CFLAGS_O += -flto
+      ifneq (,$(and $(findstring gcc,$(COMPILER_NAME)),$(findstring -fwhole-program,$(GCC_OPTIMIZERS))))
+        CFLAGS_O += -fwhole-program
+      endif
+      LTO_FEATURE = , with Link Time Optimization,
     endif
   endif
-  BUILD_FEATURES = - compiler optimizations and no debugging support
+  BUILD_FEATURES = - compiler optimizations$(LTO_FEATURE) and no debugging support
 endif
 ifneq (3,$(GCC_MAJOR_VERSION))
   ifeq (,$(GCC_WARNINGS_CMD))