diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 604fd122..16a7e00e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -239,10 +239,6 @@ ifndef USE_INTERNAL_JPEG
 USE_INTERNAL_JPEG=$(USE_INTERNAL_LIBS)
 endif
 
-ifndef USE_LOCAL_HEADERS
-USE_LOCAL_HEADERS=$(USE_INTERNAL_LIBS)
-endif
-
 ifndef USE_RENDERER_DLOPEN
 USE_RENDERER_DLOPEN=1
 endif
@@ -334,8 +330,11 @@ else
   OPENAL_LIBS ?= -lopenal
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(USE_LOCAL_HEADERS),1)
+ifeq ($(USE_INTERNAL_CURL_HEADERS),1)
   CURL_CFLAGS+=-I$(CURLDIR)/include
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(USE_INTERNAL_OPENAL_HEADERS),1)
   OPENAL_CFLAGS+=-I${OPENALDIR}/include
 endif
 
@@ -534,7 +533,7 @@ ifeq ($(PLATFORM),darwin)
   BASE_CFLAGS += -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common -pipe
 
   ifeq ($(USE_OPENAL),1)
-    ifneq ($(USE_LOCAL_HEADERS),1)
+    ifneq ($(USE_INTERNAL_OPENAL_HEADERS),1)
       CLIENT_CFLAGS += -I/System/Library/Frameworks/OpenAL.framework/Headers
     endif
     ifneq ($(USE_OPENAL_DLOPEN),1)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ab64a631..6cada23a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -163,13 +163,11 @@ Makefile.local:
   USE_INTERNAL_LIBS    - build internal libraries instead of dynamically
                          linking against system libraries; this just sets
                          the default for USE_INTERNAL_ZLIB etc.
-                         and USE_LOCAL_HEADERS
   USE_INTERNAL_ZLIB    - build and link against internal zlib
   USE_INTERNAL_JPEG    - build and link against internal JPEG library
   USE_INTERNAL_OGG     - build and link against internal ogg library
   USE_INTERNAL_OPUS    - build and link against internal opus/opusfile libraries
   USE_INTERNAL_VORBIS  - build and link against internal Vorbis library
-  USE_LOCAL_HEADERS    - use headers local to ioq3 instead of system ones
   DEBUG_CFLAGS         - C compiler flags to use for building debug version
   COPYDIR              - the target installation directory
   TEMPDIR              - specify user defined directory for temp files