diff --git a/apps/ivr/Makefile b/apps/ivr/Makefile
index 5249a85e..8f3cc947 100644
--- a/apps/ivr/Makefile
+++ b/apps/ivr/Makefile
@@ -1,24 +1,11 @@
+
 plug_in_name = ivr
 
-COREPATH ?=../../core
+include Makefile.defs
+PY_VER = $(PYTHON_VERSION)
 
-SCRIPT = Python
-TTS = y
+COREPATH ?=../../core
 
-#
-# Python specific
-#  (no need to change this if you want to use perl)
-#
-# PYTHON_VERSION might also be 2.2 -- except for the use of GIL
-# do a ls /usr/include/python2.3/Python.h to see if it's there
-PY_VER = 2.4
-# adjust to point to python include path
-# can also be /usr/include/python$(PY_VER)
-# look for Python.h in the specified path
-# Python prefix is what you configured python with 
-# if you built from source (e.g. ./configure --with-prefix=/usr/local)
-# on debian it's often /usr, on SuSE and FreeBSD /usr/local
-PYTHON_PREFIX = /usr/local
 PYTHON_DIR = $(PYTHON_PREFIX)/include/python$(PY_VER)
 PYTHON_LIBDIR = $(PYTHON_PREFIX)/lib/python$(PY_VER)
 
@@ -35,12 +22,12 @@ ifeq ($(TTS), y)
 #
 #   flite text to speech
 #
-# uncomment the next lines if you want to have flite text-to-speech (ivr.say("Hello there"); ) 
-FLITE_DIR = /usr/src/flite-1.2-release
-ALT_FLITE_DIR = /usr/include/flite
 IVR_TTS_module_ldflags =  -L$(FLITE_DIR)/lib -lm  -lflite_cmu_us_kal  -lflite_usenglish \
 	-lflite_cmulex -lflite
 IVR_TTS_module_cflags = -I$(FLITE_DIR)/include  -I$(ALT_FLITE_DIR) -DIVR_WITH_TTS
+else
+FLITE_DIR = 
+ALT_FLITE_DIR =
 endif
 
 LOCAL_INCLUDES = -I$(FLITE_DIR)/lang/usenglish
diff --git a/apps/ivr/Makefile.defs b/apps/ivr/Makefile.defs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7e279034
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/ivr/Makefile.defs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Python version: 2.5, 2.4 or 2.3
+#
+# PYTHON_VERSION might also be 2.2 -- except for the use of GIL
+# do a ls /usr/include/python2.3/Python.h to see if it's there
+PYTHON_VERSION = 2.4
+# adjust to point to python include path
+# can also be /usr/include/python$(PY_VER)
+# look for Python.h in the specified path
+# Python prefix is what you configured python with 
+# if you built from source (e.g. ./configure --with-prefix=/usr/local)
+# on debian it's often /usr, on SuSE and FreeBSD /usr/local
+PYTHON_PREFIX = /usr/local
+
+# For flite text-to-speech set TTS = y
+#
+TTS = y
+
+FLITE_DIR = /usr/src/flite-1.2-release
+ALT_FLITE_DIR = /usr/include/flite
diff --git a/apps/ivr/Makefile.ivr_application b/apps/ivr/Makefile.ivr_application
index 12df878c..1d2d80cf 100644
--- a/apps/ivr/Makefile.ivr_application
+++ b/apps/ivr/Makefile.ivr_application
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # generic Makefile for ivr applications
 
-# adjust python version here: 2.5, 2.4 or 2.3
-PYTHON_VERSION=2.4
+include ../ivr/Makefile.defs
 
 # 
 LIB_INSTALLDIR="/usr/local/lib/sems/ivr"