diff --git a/test/rubygems/gemutilities.rb b/test/rubygems/gemutilities.rb
index f1b0f75f51..803cd26c96 100644
--- a/test/rubygems/gemutilities.rb
+++ b/test/rubygems/gemutilities.rb
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ Also, a list:
   # other platforms, including Cygwin, it will return 'make'.
   #
   def self.make_command
-    vc_windows? ? 'nmake' : 'make'
+    ENV["make"] || (vc_windows? ? 'nmake' : 'make')
   end
 
   # Returns the make command for the current platform. For versions of Ruby
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ Also, a list:
   # other platforms, including Cygwin, it will return 'make'.
   #
   def make_command
-    vc_windows? ? 'nmake' : 'make'
+    ENV["make"] || (vc_windows? ? 'nmake' : 'make')
   end
 
   # Returns whether or not the nmake command could be found.
diff --git a/test/rubygems/test_gem_ext_configure_builder.rb b/test/rubygems/test_gem_ext_configure_builder.rb
index 451aa4cb61..c4842034e9 100644
--- a/test/rubygems/test_gem_ext_configure_builder.rb
+++ b/test/rubygems/test_gem_ext_configure_builder.rb
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ class TestGemExtConfigureBuilder < RubyGemTestCase
 
     assert_equal "sh ./configure --prefix=#{@dest_path}", output.shift
     assert_equal "", output.shift
-    assert_equal "make", output.shift
+    assert_equal make_command, output.shift
     assert_match(/^ok$/m, output.shift)
-    assert_equal "make install", output.shift
+    assert_equal make_command + " install", output.shift
     assert_match(/^ok$/m, output.shift)
   end
 
diff --git a/test/rubygems/test_gem_ext_ext_conf_builder.rb b/test/rubygems/test_gem_ext_ext_conf_builder.rb
index 84af0730a0..d9483df2de 100644
--- a/test/rubygems/test_gem_ext_ext_conf_builder.rb
+++ b/test/rubygems/test_gem_ext_ext_conf_builder.rb
@@ -39,14 +39,8 @@ class TestGemExtExtConfBuilder < RubyGemTestCase
 
     assert_match(/^#{Gem.ruby} extconf.rb/, output[0])
     assert_equal "creating Makefile\n", output[1]
-    case RUBY_PLATFORM
-    when /mswin/ then
-      assert_equal "nmake", output[2]
-      assert_equal "nmake install", output[4]
-    else
-      assert_equal "make", output[2]
-      assert_equal "make install", output[4]
-    end
+    assert_equal make_command, output[2]
+    assert_equal make_command + " install", output[4]
   end
 
   def test_class_build_extconf_fail