diff --git a/binding.gyp b/binding.gyp
index 30c8be3..494b337 100644
--- a/binding.gyp
+++ b/binding.gyp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   'conditions': [
     ['OS=="win"', {
       'variables': {
-        'GTK_Root%': 'C:/GTK',  # Set the location of GTK all-in-one bundle
+        'GTK_Root%': 'C:/GTK', # Set the location of GTK all-in-one bundle
         'with_jpeg%': 'false',
         'with_gif%': 'false',
         'with_pango%': 'false',
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@
       'variables': {
         'with_jpeg%': '<!(./util/has_lib.sh jpeg)',
         'with_gif%': '<!(./util/has_lib.sh gif)',
+        # disable pango as it causes issues with freetype.
         'with_pango%': 'false',
-        'with_freetype%': 'true'
+        'with_freetype%': '<!(./util/has_cairo_freetype.sh)'
       }
     }]
   ],
@@ -41,13 +42,12 @@
           ],
           'defines': [
             'snprintf=_snprintf',
-            '_USE_MATH_DEFINES'  # for M_PI
+            '_USE_MATH_DEFINES' # for M_PI
           ]
-        }, {  # 'OS!="win"'
+        }, { # 'OS!="win"'
           'libraries': [
-            '<!@(./util/lib_lookup.sh pixman-1)',
-            '<!@(./util/lib_lookup.sh cairo)',
-            '<!@(./util/lib_lookup.sh libpng)'
+            '-lpixman-1',
+            '-lcairo'
           ]
         }],
         ['with_freetype=="true"', {
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
               'include_dirs': [ # tried to pass through cflags but failed.
                 # Need to include the header files of cairo AND freetype.
                 # Looking up the includes of cairo does both.
-                '<!@(./util/cairo_include.sh)'
+                '<!@(pkg-config cairo --cflags-only-I | sed s/-I//g)'
               ]
             }]
           ]
@@ -123,4 +123,4 @@
       ]
     }
   ]
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/install b/install
index 514d91f..5483ae9 100755
--- a/install
+++ b/install
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ PIXMAN="http://www.cairographics.org/releases/pixman-0.28.0.tar.gz"
 CAIRO="http://cairographics.org/releases/cairo-1.12.8.tar.xz"
 FREETYPE="http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/freetype/freetype-2.4.10.tar.gz"
 LIBPNG="ftp://ftp.simplesystems.org/pub/libpng/png/src/libpng-1.5.13.tar.gz"
+PREFIX=${1-/usr/local}
 
 require() {
   echo "... checking for $1"
@@ -30,11 +31,13 @@ fetch() {
 
 fetch_xz() {
   local tarball=`basename $1`
+  echo "... downloading $tarball"
   local dir=${tarball/.tar.xz/}
-  echo "... downloading $tarball";
   curl -# -L $1 -o $tarball \
     && echo "... unpacking" \
     && tar -xJf $tarball \
+    && echo "... removing tarball" \
+    && rm -fr $tarball \
     && install $dir
 }
 
@@ -44,13 +47,11 @@ install() {
  cd $dir \
    && ./configure --disable-dependency-tracking --prefix=$PREFIX \
    && make \
-   && make install
+   && make install \
+   && echo "... removing $dir" \
+   && cd .. && rm -fr $dir
 }
 
-mkdir -p build_cairo
-PREFIX=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")"; pwd)/build_cairo
-cd build_cairo
-
 echo "... installing to $PREFIX"
 require curl
 require tar
@@ -58,6 +59,5 @@ test `which pkg-config` || fetch $PKG_CONFIG
 require 'pkg-config'
 fetch $LIBPNG
 fetch $FREETYPE
-fetch $FREETYPE
 fetch $PIXMAN
 fetch_xz $CAIRO