diff --git a/aksetup_helper.py b/aksetup_helper.py
index 228abb9546f3962e253c9ccfee4993d18615723b..39670029f4fe99f415203aa15fc1c8acd29b2462 100644
--- a/aksetup_helper.py
+++ b/aksetup_helper.py
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ def get_config(schema=None, warn_about_no_config=True):
 
 
 
-def hack_distutils(debug=False, fast_link=True):
+def hack_distutils(debug=False, fast_link=True, what_opt=3):
     # hack distutils.sysconfig to eliminate debug flags
     # stolen from mpi4py
 
@@ -194,8 +194,12 @@ def hack_distutils(debug=False, fast_link=True):
             if debug:
                 cflags.append("-g")
             else:
-                cflags.append("-O3")
-                cflags.append("-DNDEBUG")
+                if what_opt is None:
+                    pass
+                else:
+                    cflags.append("-O%s" % what_opt)
+                    cflags.append("-DNDEBUG")
+
             cvars['OPT'] = str.join(' ', cflags)
             cvars["CFLAGS"] = cvars["BASECFLAGS"] + " " + cvars["OPT"]
 
@@ -515,7 +519,7 @@ class Libraries(StringListOption):
 class BoostLibraries(Libraries):
     def __init__(self, lib_base_name):
         Libraries.__init__(self, "BOOST_%s" % lib_base_name.upper(),
-                ["boost_%s-${BOOST_COMPILER}-mt" % lib_base_name],
+                ["boost_%s" % lib_base_name],
                 help="Library names for Boost C++ %s library (without lib or .so)"
                     % humanize(lib_base_name))