diff --git a/ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim b/ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim
index 105df821..e8d96187 100644
--- a/ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim
+++ b/ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim
@@ -8,15 +8,15 @@ function! ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetExecutable(buffer) abort
     return ale#Var(a:buffer, 'cpp_clang_executable')
 endfunction
 
-function! ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(buffer) abort
-    let l:paths = ale#c#FindLocalHeaderPaths(a:buffer)
+function! ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(buffer, output) abort
+    let l:cflags = ale#c#GetCFlags(a:buffer, a:output)
 
     " -iquote with the directory the file is in makes #include work for
     "  headers in the same directory.
     return ale#Escape(ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetExecutable(a:buffer))
     \   . ' -S -x c++ -fsyntax-only '
     \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(fnamemodify(bufname(a:buffer), ':p:h')) . ' '
-    \   . ale#c#IncludeOptions(l:paths)
+    \   . l:cflags
     \   . ale#Var(a:buffer, 'cpp_clang_options') . ' -'
 endfunction
 
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ call ale#linter#Define('cpp', {
 \   'name': 'clang',
 \   'output_stream': 'stderr',
 \   'executable_callback': 'ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetExecutable',
-\   'command_callback': 'ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand',
+\   'command_chain': [
+\       {'callback': 'ale#c#GetMakeCommand', 'output_stream': 'stdout'},
+\       {'callback': 'ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand'},
+\   ],
 \   'callback': 'ale#handlers#gcc#HandleGCCFormat',
 \})
diff --git a/ale_linters/cpp/gcc.vim b/ale_linters/cpp/gcc.vim
index 40dffc98..577c9f79 100644
--- a/ale_linters/cpp/gcc.vim
+++ b/ale_linters/cpp/gcc.vim
@@ -8,15 +8,15 @@ function! ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetExecutable(buffer) abort
     return ale#Var(a:buffer, 'cpp_gcc_executable')
 endfunction
 
-function! ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(buffer) abort
-    let l:paths = ale#c#FindLocalHeaderPaths(a:buffer)
+function! ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(buffer, output) abort
+    let l:cflags = ale#c#GetCFlags(a:buffer, a:output)
 
     " -iquote with the directory the file is in makes #include work for
     "  headers in the same directory.
     return ale#Escape(ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetExecutable(a:buffer))
     \   . ' -S -x c++ -fsyntax-only '
     \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(fnamemodify(bufname(a:buffer), ':p:h')) . ' '
-    \   . ale#c#IncludeOptions(l:paths)
+    \   . l:cflags
     \   . ale#Var(a:buffer, 'cpp_gcc_options') . ' -'
 endfunction
 
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ call ale#linter#Define('cpp', {
 \   'name': 'g++',
 \   'output_stream': 'stderr',
 \   'executable_callback': 'ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetExecutable',
-\   'command_callback': 'ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand',
+\   'command_chain': [
+\       {'callback': 'ale#c#GetMakeCommand', 'output_stream': 'stdout'},
+\       {'callback': 'ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand'},
+\   ],
 \   'callback': 'ale#handlers#gcc#HandleGCCFormat',
 \})
diff --git a/doc/ale-c.txt b/doc/ale-c.txt
index 08b83e80..c41f3bc8 100644
--- a/doc/ale-c.txt
+++ b/doc/ale-c.txt
@@ -31,7 +31,18 @@ g:ale_c_build_dir                                           *g:ale_c_build_dir*
   database (it can be useful if multiple builds are in multiple build
   subdirectories in the project tree).
   This feature is also most useful for the clang tools linters, wrapped
-  aroung LibTooling (namely clang-tidy here)
+  around LibTooling (namely clang-tidy here)
+
+
+g:ale_c_parse_makefile                                 *g:ale_c_parse_makefile*
+                                                       *b:ale_c_parse_makefile*
+  Type: |Number|
+  Default: `0`
+
+  If set to `1`, ALE will run `make -n` to automatically determine flags to
+  set for C or C++ compilers. This can make it easier to determine the correct
+  build flags to use for different files.
+
 
 ===============================================================================
 clang                                                             *ale-c-clang*
diff --git a/doc/ale-cpp.txt b/doc/ale-cpp.txt
index 315f293f..05e54799 100644
--- a/doc/ale-cpp.txt
+++ b/doc/ale-cpp.txt
@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@ ALE C++ Integration                                           *ale-cpp-options*
 ===============================================================================
 Global Options
 
-The |g:ale_c_build_dir_names| and |g:ale_c_build_dir| also apply to some C++
-linters too.
+The following C options also apply to some C++ linters too.
+
+* |g:ale_c_build_dir_names|
+* |g:ale_c_build_dir|
+* |g:ale_c_parse_makefile|
 
 
 ===============================================================================
diff --git a/test/command_callback/test_cpp_clang_command_callbacks.vader b/test/command_callback/test_cpp_clang_command_callbacks.vader
index 67d6898c..8c671115 100644
--- a/test/command_callback/test_cpp_clang_command_callbacks.vader
+++ b/test/command_callback/test_cpp_clang_command_callbacks.vader
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ Execute(The executable should be configurable):
 Execute(The executable should be used in the command):
   AssertEqual
   \ ale#Escape('clang++') . b:command_tail,
-  \ ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
   let b:ale_cpp_clang_executable = 'foobar'
 
   AssertEqual
   \ ale#Escape('foobar') . b:command_tail,
-  \ ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
diff --git a/test/command_callback/test_cpp_gcc_command_callbacks.vader b/test/command_callback/test_cpp_gcc_command_callbacks.vader
index 9ab4d5cb..7abebf4c 100644
--- a/test/command_callback/test_cpp_gcc_command_callbacks.vader
+++ b/test/command_callback/test_cpp_gcc_command_callbacks.vader
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ Execute(The executable should be configurable):
 Execute(The executable should be used in the command):
   AssertEqual
   \ ale#Escape('gcc') . b:command_tail,
-  \ ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
   let b:ale_cpp_gcc_executable = 'foobar'
 
   AssertEqual
   \ ale#Escape('foobar') . b:command_tail,
-  \ ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
diff --git a/test/test_c_import_paths.vader b/test/test_c_import_paths.vader
index a2ffe54e..f2a06781 100644
--- a/test/test_c_import_paths.vader
+++ b/test/test_c_import_paths.vader
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ Execute(The C++ GCC handler should include 'include' directories for projects wi
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/makefile_project/subdir')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/makefile_project/include')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ GCC handler should include 'include' directories for projects with a configure file):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/gcc.vim
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ Execute(The C++ GCC handler should include 'include' directories for projects wi
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/configure_project/subdir')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/configure_project/include')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ GCC handler should include root directories for projects with .h files in them):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/gcc.vim
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ Execute(The C++ GCC handler should include root directories for projects with .h
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/h_file_project/subdir')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/h_file_project')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ GCC handler should include root directories for projects with .hpp files in them):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/gcc.vim
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ Execute(The C++ GCC handler should include root directories for projects with .h
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/hpp_file_project/subdir')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/hpp_file_project')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#gcc#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ Clang handler should include 'include' directories for projects with a Makefile):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ Execute(The C++ Clang handler should include 'include' directories for projects
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/makefile_project/subdir')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/makefile_project/include')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ Clang handler should include 'include' directories for projects with a configure file):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ Execute(The C++ Clang handler should include 'include' directories for projects
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/configure_project/subdir')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/configure_project/include')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ Clang handler should include root directories for projects with .h files in them):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ Execute(The C++ Clang handler should include root directories for projects with
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/h_file_project/subdir')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/h_file_project')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ Clang handler should include root directories for projects with .hpp files in them):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ Execute(The C++ Clang handler should include root directories for projects with
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/hpp_file_project/subdir')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/hpp_file_project')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ Clang handler shoud use the include directory based on the .git location):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/clang.vim
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ Execute(The C++ Clang handler shoud use the include directory based on the .git
   \   . '-iquote ' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/git_and_nested_makefiles/src')) . ' '
   \   . ' -I' . ale#Escape(ale#path#Simplify(g:dir .  '/test_c_projects/git_and_nested_makefiles/include')) . ' '
   \   . ' -'
-  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \ , ale_linters#cpp#clang#GetCommand(bufnr(''), [])
 
 Execute(The C++ ClangTidy handler should include json folders for projects with suitable build directory in them):
   runtime! ale_linters/cpp/clangtidy.vim