diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f2d0df8..7757a67 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -85,22 +85,29 @@ system-wide installation.
 
 Some keyword arguments can be passed to the constructor to configure the commands used:
 
-#### `cc_command`
+#### `cc_command` and `cxx_command`
 
-The compiler command that is used is configurable, and in order of preference will use:
+The C compiler command that is used is configurable, and in order of preference will use:
 
 - the `CC` environment variable (if present)
 - the `:cc_command` keyword argument passed in to the constructor
 - `RbConfig::CONFIG["CC"]`
 - `"gcc"`
 
-You can pass it in like so:
+The C++ compiler is similarly configuratble, and in order of preference will use:
+
+- the `CXX` environment variable (if present)
+- the `:cxx_command` keyword argument passed in to the constructor
+- `RbConfig::CONFIG["CXX"]`
+- `"g++"`
+
+You can pass your compiler commands to the MiniPortile constructor:
 
 ``` ruby
-MiniPortile.new("libiconv", "1.13.1", cc_command: "cc")
+MiniPortile.new("libiconv", "1.13.1", cc_command: "clang", cxx_command: "clang++")
 ```
 
-For backwards compatibility, the constructor also supports a keyword argument `:gcc_command`.
+(For backwards compatibility, the constructor also supports a keyword argument `:gcc_command` for the C compiler.)
 
 #### `make_command`
 
diff --git a/lib/mini_portile2/mini_portile.rb b/lib/mini_portile2/mini_portile.rb
index 72df973..deb2c8c 100644
--- a/lib/mini_portile2/mini_portile.rb
+++ b/lib/mini_portile2/mini_portile.rb
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ def initialize(name, version, **kwargs)
     @source_directory = nil
 
     @cc_command = kwargs[:cc_command] || kwargs[:gcc_command]
+    @cxx_command = kwargs[:cxx_command]
     @make_command = kwargs[:make_command]
     @open_timeout = kwargs[:open_timeout] || DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
     @read_timeout = kwargs[:read_timeout] || DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
@@ -377,6 +378,10 @@ def cc_cmd
   end
   alias :gcc_cmd :cc_cmd
 
+  def cxx_cmd
+    (ENV["CXX"] || @cxx_command || RbConfig::CONFIG["CXX"] || "g++").dup
+  end
+
   def make_cmd
     (ENV["MAKE"] || @make_command || ENV["make"] || "make").dup
   end
diff --git a/lib/mini_portile2/mini_portile_cmake.rb b/lib/mini_portile2/mini_portile_cmake.rb
index 9fcfb4c..da834cc 100644
--- a/lib/mini_portile2/mini_portile_cmake.rb
+++ b/lib/mini_portile2/mini_portile_cmake.rb
@@ -67,49 +67,21 @@ def generator_defaults
   end
 
   def cmake_compile_flags
-    c_compiler, cxx_compiler = find_c_and_cxx_compilers(host)
+    # RbConfig::CONFIG['CC'] and RbConfig::CONFIG['CXX'] can contain additional flags, for example
+    # "clang++ -std=gnu++11" or "clang -fdeclspec". CMake is just looking for the command name.
+    cc_compiler = cc_cmd.split.first
+    cxx_compiler = cxx_cmd.split.first
 
     # needed to ensure cross-compilation with CMake targets the right CPU and compilers
     [
       "-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=#{cmake_system_name}",
       "-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR=#{cpu_type}",
-      "-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=#{c_compiler}",
+      "-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=#{cc_compiler}",
       "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=#{cxx_compiler}",
       "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=#{cmake_build_type}",
     ]
   end
 
-  def find_compiler(compilers)
-    compilers.find { |binary| which(binary) }
-  end
-
-  # configure automatically searches for the right compiler based on the
-  # `--host` parameter.  However, CMake doesn't have an equivalent feature.
-  # Search for the right compiler for the target architecture using
-  # some basic heruistics.
-  def find_c_and_cxx_compilers(host)
-    c_compiler = ENV["CC"]
-    cxx_compiler = ENV["CXX"]
-
-    if MiniPortile.darwin?
-      c_compiler ||= 'clang'
-      cxx_compiler ||='clang++'
-    elsif MiniPortile.freebsd?
-      c_compiler ||= 'cc'
-      cxx_compiler ||= 'c++'
-    else
-      c_compiler ||= 'gcc'
-      cxx_compiler ||= 'g++'
-    end
-
-    c_platform_compiler = "#{host}-#{c_compiler}"
-    cxx_platform_compiler = "#{host}-#{cxx_compiler}"
-    c_compiler = find_compiler([c_platform_compiler, c_compiler])
-    cxx_compiler = find_compiler([cxx_platform_compiler, cxx_compiler])
-
-    [c_compiler, cxx_compiler]
-  end
-
   # Full list: https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/blob/v3.26.4/Modules/CMakeDetermineSystem.cmake?ref_type=tags#L12-31
   def cmake_system_name
     return system_name if system_name
diff --git a/test/test_cmake.rb b/test/test_cmake.rb
index 6d5ffa0..e180877 100644
--- a/test/test_cmake.rb
+++ b/test/test_cmake.rb
@@ -83,23 +83,20 @@ def test_make_command_configuration
   end
 
   def test_configure_defaults_with_macos
-    recipe = init_recipe
-    recipe.host = 'some-host'
-
     with_env({ "CC" => nil, "CXX" => nil }) do
       MiniPortile.stub(:darwin?, true) do
         with_stubbed_target(os: 'darwin22', cpu: 'arm64') do
-          with_compilers(recipe, host_prefix: true, c_compiler: 'clang', cxx_compiler: 'clang++') do
+          with_compilers(c_compiler: 'clang', cxx_compiler: 'clang++') do
             Open3.stub(:capture2, cmake_help_mock('Unix')) do
               assert_equal(
                 [
                   "-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=Darwin",
                   "-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR=arm64",
-                  "-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=some-host-clang",
-                  "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=some-host-clang++",
+                  "-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=clang",
+                  "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=clang++",
                   "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release"
                 ],
-                recipe.configure_defaults)
+                @recipe.configure_defaults)
             end
           end
         end
@@ -108,12 +105,9 @@ def test_configure_defaults_with_macos
   end
 
   def test_configure_defaults_with_freebsd
-    recipe = init_recipe
-    recipe.host = 'some-host'
-
     with_env({ "CC" => nil, "CXX" => nil }) do
       with_stubbed_target(os: 'freebsd14') do
-        with_compilers(recipe, c_compiler: 'cc', cxx_compiler: 'c++') do
+        with_compilers(c_compiler: 'cc', cxx_compiler: 'c++') do
           Open3.stub(:capture2, cmake_help_mock('Unix')) do
             assert_equal(
               [
@@ -123,7 +117,7 @@ def test_configure_defaults_with_freebsd
                 "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=c++",
                 "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release"
               ],
-              recipe.configure_defaults)
+              @recipe.configure_defaults)
           end
         end
       end
@@ -131,22 +125,21 @@ def test_configure_defaults_with_freebsd
   end
 
   def test_configure_defaults_with_manual_system_name
-    recipe = init_recipe
-    recipe.system_name = 'Custom'
-
     MiniPortile.stub(:darwin?, false) do
       with_stubbed_target do
-        with_compilers(recipe) do
+        with_compilers do
           Open3.stub(:capture2, cmake_help_mock('Unix')) do
-            assert_equal(
-              [
-                "-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=Custom",
-                "-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR=x86_64",
-                "-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=gcc",
-                "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=g++",
-                "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release"
-              ],
-              recipe.configure_defaults)
+            @recipe.stub(:system_name, 'Custom') do
+              assert_equal(
+                [
+                  "-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=Custom",
+                  "-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR=x86_64",
+                  "-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=gcc",
+                  "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=g++",
+                  "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release"
+                ],
+                @recipe.configure_defaults)
+            end
           end
         end
       end
@@ -154,16 +147,14 @@ def test_configure_defaults_with_manual_system_name
   end
 
   def test_configure_defaults_with_unix_makefiles
-    recipe = init_recipe
-
     MiniPortile.stub(:linux?, true) do
       MiniPortile.stub(:darwin?, false) do
         with_stubbed_target do
-          with_compilers(recipe) do
+          with_compilers do
             Open3.stub(:capture2, cmake_help_mock('Unix')) do
               MiniPortile.stub(:mingw?, true) do
                 assert_equal(default_x86_compile_flags,
-                            recipe.configure_defaults)
+                             @recipe.configure_defaults)
               end
             end
           end
@@ -173,15 +164,13 @@ def test_configure_defaults_with_unix_makefiles
   end
 
   def test_configure_defaults_with_msys_makefiles
-    recipe = init_recipe
-
     MiniPortile.stub(:linux?, true) do
       MiniPortile.stub(:darwin?, false) do
         with_stubbed_target do
-          with_compilers(recipe) do
+          with_compilers do
             Open3.stub(:capture2, cmake_help_mock('MSYS')) do
               MiniPortile.stub(:mingw?, true) do
-                assert_equal(['-G', 'MSYS Makefiles'] + default_x86_compile_flags, recipe.configure_defaults)
+                assert_equal(['-G', 'MSYS Makefiles'] + default_x86_compile_flags, @recipe.configure_defaults)
               end
             end
           end
@@ -191,15 +180,13 @@ def test_configure_defaults_with_msys_makefiles
   end
 
   def test_configure_defaults_with_nmake_makefiles
-    recipe = init_recipe
-
     MiniPortile.stub(:linux?, true) do
       MiniPortile.stub(:darwin?, false) do
         with_stubbed_target do
-          with_compilers(recipe) do
+          with_compilers do
             Open3.stub(:capture2, cmake_help_mock('NMake')) do
               MiniPortile.stub(:mswin?, true) do
-                assert_equal(['-G', 'NMake Makefiles'] + default_x86_compile_flags, recipe.configure_defaults)
+                assert_equal(['-G', 'NMake Makefiles'] + default_x86_compile_flags, @recipe.configure_defaults)
               end
             end
           end
@@ -240,21 +227,11 @@ def with_stubbed_target(os: 'linux', cpu: 'x86_64')
     end
   end
 
-  def with_compilers(recipe, host_prefix: false, c_compiler: 'gcc', cxx_compiler: 'g++')
-    mock = MiniTest::Mock.new
-
-    if host_prefix
-      mock.expect(:call, true, ["#{recipe.host}-#{c_compiler}"])
-      mock.expect(:call, true, ["#{recipe.host}-#{cxx_compiler}"])
-    else
-      mock.expect(:call, false, ["#{recipe.host}-#{c_compiler}"])
-      mock.expect(:call, true, [c_compiler])
-      mock.expect(:call, false, ["#{recipe.host}-#{cxx_compiler}"])
-      mock.expect(:call, true, [cxx_compiler])
-    end
-
-    recipe.stub(:which, mock) do
-      yield
+  def with_compilers(c_compiler: 'gcc', cxx_compiler: 'g++')
+    @recipe.stub(:cc_cmd, c_compiler) do
+      @recipe.stub(:cxx_cmd, cxx_compiler) do
+        yield
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/test/test_cook.rb b/test/test_cook.rb
index 031a43a..fd5d3b8 100644
--- a/test/test_cook.rb
+++ b/test/test_cook.rb
@@ -98,6 +98,18 @@ def test_cc_command_configuration
       assert_equal("asdf", MiniPortile.new("test", "1.0.0", gcc_command: "xyzzy").gcc_cmd)
     end
   end
+
+  def test_cxx_command_configuration
+    without_env("CXX") do
+      expected_compiler = RbConfig::CONFIG["CXX"] || "g++"
+      assert_equal(expected_compiler, MiniPortile.new("test", "1.0.0").cxx_cmd)
+      assert_equal("xyzzy", MiniPortile.new("test", "1.0.0", cxx_command: "xyzzy").cxx_cmd)
+    end
+    with_env("CXX"=>"asdf") do
+      assert_equal("asdf", MiniPortile.new("test", "1.0.0").cxx_cmd)
+      assert_equal("asdf", MiniPortile.new("test", "1.0.0", cxx_command: "xyzzy").cxx_cmd)
+    end
+  end
 end