diff --git a/festival.spec b/festival.spec
index 2405b4d..fb5d9a9 100644
--- a/festival.spec
+++ b/festival.spec
@@ -174,8 +174,8 @@ export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$(pwd)/speech_tools/lib
 pushd speech_tools
   %configure
   make \
-    CFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS -fPIC -fno-strict-aliasing" \
-    CXXFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS  -fPIC -fno-strict-aliasing"
+    CFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS -fPIC -fno-strict-aliasing -fpermissive" \
+    CXXFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS  -fPIC -fno-strict-aliasing -fpermissive"
 popd
 
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$(pwd)/src/lib
@@ -183,8 +183,8 @@ export PATH=$(pwd)/bin:$PATH
 %configure
 make \
   FTLIBDIR="%{_datadir}/festival/lib" \
-  CFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS -fPIC" \
-  CXXFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS -fPIC"
+  CFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS -fPIC -fpermissive" \
+  CXXFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS -fPIC -fpermissive"
 
 pushd lib/dicts/cmu
   make