diff --git a/pelican/tools/templates/Makefile.jinja2 b/pelican/tools/templates/Makefile.jinja2
index 91b44320..6b13a59c 100644
--- a/pelican/tools/templates/Makefile.jinja2
+++ b/pelican/tools/templates/Makefile.jinja2
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ ifeq ($(RELATIVE), 1)
 	PELICANOPTS += --relative-urls
 endif
 
+SERVER ?= "0.0.0.0"
+
+PORT ?= 0
+ifneq ($(PORT), 0)
+	PELICANOPTS += -p $(PORT)
+endif
+
+
 help:
 	@echo 'Makefile for a pelican Web site                                           '
 	@echo '                                                                          '
@@ -100,12 +108,7 @@ else
 endif
 
 serve-global:
-ifdef SERVER
-	$(PELICAN) -l $(INPUTDIR) -o $(OUTPUTDIR) -s $(CONFFILE) $(PELICANOPTS) -p $(PORT) -b $(SERVER)
-else
-	$(PELICAN) -l $(INPUTDIR) -o $(OUTPUTDIR) -s $(CONFFILE) $(PELICANOPTS) -p $(PORT) -b 0.0.0.0
-endif
-
+	$(PELICAN) -l $(INPUTDIR) -o $(OUTPUTDIR) -s $(CONFFILE) $(PELICANOPTS) -b $(SERVER)
 
 devserver:
 ifdef PORT