diff --git a/glfw/glfw.py b/glfw/glfw.py
index 05074000248..1eecdedddf3 100755
--- a/glfw/glfw.py
+++ b/glfw/glfw.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 import sys
-from typing import Callable, List, Optional, Tuple
+from typing import Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 
 _plat = sys.platform.lower()
 is_linux = 'linux' in _plat
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class Env:
     cppflags: List[str] = []
     cflags: List[str] = []
     ldflags: List[str] = []
+    library_paths: Dict[str, List[str]] = {}
     ldpaths: List[str] = []
     ccver: Tuple[int, int]
 
@@ -32,13 +33,13 @@ class Env:
 
     def __init__(
         self, cc: str = '', cppflags: List[str] = [], cflags: List[str] = [], ldflags: List[str] = [],
-        ldpaths: Optional[List[str]] = None, ccver: Tuple[int, int] = (0, 0)
+        library_paths: Dict[str, List[str]] = {}, ldpaths: Optional[List[str]] = None, ccver: Tuple[int, int] = (0, 0)
     ):
-        self.cc, self.cppflags, self.cflags, self.ldflags, self.ldpaths = cc, cppflags, cflags, ldflags, [] if ldpaths is None else ldpaths
-        self.ccver = ccver
+        self.cc, self.cppflags, self.cflags, self.ldflags, self.library_paths = cc, cppflags, cflags, ldflags, library_paths
+        self.ldpaths, self.ccver = [] if ldpaths is None else ldpaths, ccver
 
     def copy(self) -> 'Env':
-        ans = Env(self.cc, list(self.cppflags), list(self.cflags), list(self.ldflags), list(self.ldpaths), self.ccver)
+        ans = Env(self.cc, list(self.cppflags), list(self.cflags), list(self.ldflags), dict(self.library_paths), list(self.ldpaths), self.ccver)
         ans.all_headers = list(self.all_headers)
         ans.sources = list(self.sources)
         ans.wayland_packagedir = self.wayland_packagedir
diff --git a/kitty/desktop.c b/kitty/desktop.c
index bd8f872e31d..1417e0815ee 100644
--- a/kitty/desktop.c
+++ b/kitty/desktop.c
@@ -34,10 +34,14 @@ init_x11_startup_notification(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
         done = true;
 
         const char* libnames[] = {
+#if defined(_KITTY_STARTUP_NOTIFICATION_LIBRARY)
+            _KITTY_STARTUP_NOTIFICATION_LIBRARY,
+#else
             "libstartup-notification-1.so",
             // some installs are missing the .so symlink, so try the full name
             "libstartup-notification-1.so.0",
             "libstartup-notification-1.so.0.0.0",
+#endif
             NULL
         };
         for (int i = 0; libnames[i]; i++) {
@@ -113,10 +117,14 @@ load_libcanberra(void) {
     if (done) return;
     done = true;
     const char* libnames[] = {
+#if defined(_KITTY_CANBERRA_LIBRARY)
+        _KITTY_CANBERRA_LIBRARY,
+#else
         "libcanberra.so",
         // some installs are missing the .so symlink, so try the full name
         "libcanberra.so.0",
         "libcanberra.so.0.2.5",
+#endif
         NULL
     };
     for (int i = 0; libnames[i]; i++) {
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d1a52505fe5..97aaa347d88 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ class Options(argparse.Namespace):
     libdir_name: str = 'lib'
     extra_logging: List[str] = []
     update_check_interval: float = 24
+    egl_library: Optional[str] = None
+    startup_notification_library: Optional[str] = None
+    canberra_library: Optional[str] = None
 
 
 class CompileKey(NamedTuple):
@@ -231,6 +234,9 @@ def init_env(
     sanitize: bool = False,
     native_optimizations: bool = True,
     profile: bool = False,
+    egl_library: Optional[str] = None,
+    startup_notification_library: Optional[str] = None,
+    canberra_library: Optional[str] = None,
     extra_logging: Iterable[str] = ()
 ) -> Env:
     native_optimizations = native_optimizations and not sanitize and not debug
@@ -289,7 +295,26 @@ def init_env(
         cppflags.append('-DWITH_PROFILER')
         cflags.append('-g3')
         ldflags.append('-lprofiler')
-    return Env(cc, cppflags, cflags, ldflags, ccver=ccver)
+
+    library_paths = {}
+
+    if egl_library is not None:
+        assert('"' not in egl_library)
+        library_paths['glfw/egl_context.c'] = ['_GLFW_EGL_LIBRARY="' + egl_library + '"']
+
+    desktop_libs = []
+    if startup_notification_library is not None:
+        assert('"' not in startup_notification_library)
+        desktop_libs = ['_KITTY_STARTUP_NOTIFICATION_LIBRARY="' + startup_notification_library + '"']
+
+    if canberra_library is not None:
+        assert('"' not in canberra_library)
+        desktop_libs += ['_KITTY_CANBERRA_LIBRARY="' + canberra_library + '"']
+
+    if desktop_libs != []:
+        library_paths['kitty/desktop.c'] = desktop_libs
+
+    return Env(cc, cppflags, cflags, ldflags, library_paths, ccver=ccver)
 
 
 def kitty_env() -> Env:
@@ -349,7 +374,7 @@ def run_tool(cmd: Union[str, List[str]], desc: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
         raise SystemExit(ret)
 
 
-def get_vcs_rev_defines(env: Env) -> List[str]:
+def get_vcs_rev_defines(env: Env, src: str) -> List[str]:
     ans = []
     if os.path.exists('.git'):
         try:
@@ -368,7 +393,16 @@ def get_vcs_rev_defines(env: Env) -> List[str]:
     return ans
 
 
-SPECIAL_SOURCES: Dict[str, Tuple[str, Union[List[str], Callable[[Env], Union[List[str], Iterator[str]]]]]] = {
+def get_library_defines(env: Env, src: str) -> Optional[List[str]]:
+    try:
+        return env.library_paths[src]
+    except KeyError:
+        return None
+
+
+SPECIAL_SOURCES: Dict[str, Tuple[str, Union[List[str], Callable[[Env, str], Union[Optional[List[str]], Iterator[str]]]]]] = {
+    'glfw/egl_context.c': ('glfw/egl_context.c', get_library_defines),
+    'kitty/desktop.c': ('kitty/desktop.c', get_library_defines),
     'kitty/parser_dump.c': ('kitty/parser.c', ['DUMP_COMMANDS']),
     'kitty/data-types.c': ('kitty/data-types.c', get_vcs_rev_defines),
 }
@@ -556,8 +590,9 @@ def compile_c_extension(
         is_special = src in SPECIAL_SOURCES
         if is_special:
             src, defines_ = SPECIAL_SOURCES[src]
-            defines = defines_(kenv) if callable(defines_) else defines_
-            cppflags.extend(map(define, defines))
+            defines = defines_(kenv, src) if callable(defines_) else defines_
+            if defines is not None:
+                cppflags.extend(map(define, defines))
 
         cmd = [kenv.cc, '-MMD'] + cppflags + kenv.cflags
         cmd += ['-c', src] + ['-o', dest]
@@ -662,7 +697,11 @@ def files(
 
 def build(args: Options, native_optimizations: bool = True) -> None:
     global env
-    env = init_env(args.debug, args.sanitize, native_optimizations, args.profile, args.extra_logging)
+    env = init_env(
+        args.debug, args.sanitize, native_optimizations, args.profile,
+        args.egl_library, args.startup_notification_library, args.canberra_library,
+        args.extra_logging
+    )
     sources, headers = find_c_files()
     compile_c_extension(
         kitty_env(), 'kitty/fast_data_types', args.compilation_database, sources, headers
@@ -1063,6 +1102,27 @@ def option_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:  # {{{
         help='When building a package, the default value for the update_check_interval setting will'
         ' be set to this number. Use zero to disable update checking.'
     )
+    p.add_argument(
+        '--egl-library',
+        type=str,
+        default=Options.egl_library,
+        help='The filename argument passed to dlopen for libEGL.'
+        ' This can be used to change the name of the loaded library or specify an absolute path.'
+    )
+    p.add_argument(
+        '--startup-notification-library',
+        type=str,
+        default=Options.startup_notification_library,
+        help='The filename argument passed to dlopen for libstartup-notification-1.'
+        ' This can be used to change the name of the loaded library or specify an absolute path.'
+    )
+    p.add_argument(
+        '--canberra-library',
+        type=str,
+        default=Options.canberra_library,
+        help='The filename argument passed to dlopen for libcanberra.'
+        ' This can be used to change the name of the loaded library or specify an absolute path.'
+    )
     return p
 # }}}