diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_dist.yml b/.github/workflows/build_dist.yml
index 2c93cdd..6fd9b2f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_dist.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_dist.yml
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build wheels
         uses: pypa/cibuildwheel@v2.11.4
         env:
+          CIBW_ENVIRONMENT: PYLZ4_USE_SYSTEM_LZ4="False"
           CIBW_ARCHS_LINUX: "x86_64 i686 aarch64"
           CIBW_ARCHS_MACOS: "x86_64 arm64" # universal2"
           CIBW_ARCHS_WINDOWS: "AMD64 x86"
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 15ba444..a75bc4d 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -5,14 +5,10 @@ python-lz4
 Status
 ======
 
-.. image:: https://travis-ci.org/python-lz4/python-lz4.svg?branch=master
-   :target: https://travis-ci.org/python-lz4/python-lz4
+.. image:: https://github.com/python-lz4/python-lz4/actions/workflows/build_dist.yml/badge.svg
+   :target: https://github.com/python-lz4/python-lz4/actions/workflows/build_dist.yml
    :alt: Build Status
 
-.. image:: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/r2qvw9mlfo63lklo/branch/master?svg=true
-   :target: https://ci.appveyor.com/project/jonathanunderwood/python-lz4
-   :alt: Build Status Windows
-
 .. image:: https://readthedocs.org/projects/python-lz4/badge/?version=stable
    :target: https://readthedocs.org/projects/python-lz4/
    :alt: Documentation
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2f2704f..387f5c8 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 import os
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages, Extension
+from setuptools.command.build_ext import new_compiler
 import sys
-from distutils import ccompiler
+
 
 # Note: if updating LZ4_REQUIRED_VERSION you need to update docs/install.rst as
 # well.
@@ -35,12 +36,11 @@ def pkgconfig_installed_check(lib, required_version, default):
     liblz4_found = pkgconfig_installed_check('liblz4', LZ4_REQUIRED_VERSION, default=False)
 
 # Establish if we want to build experimental functionality or not.
-experimental = os.environ.get("PYLZ4_EXPERIMENTAL", False)
-if experimental is not False:
-    if experimental.upper() in ("1", "TRUE"):
-        experimental = True
-    else:
-        experimental = False
+experimental_env = os.environ.get("PYLZ4_EXPERIMENTAL", "False")
+if experimental_env.upper() in ("1", "TRUE"):
+    experimental = True
+else:
+    experimental = False
 
 # Set up the extension modules. If a system wide lz4 library is found, and is
 # recent enough, we'll use that. Otherwise we'll build with the bundled one. If
@@ -67,7 +67,13 @@ def pkgconfig_installed_check(lib, required_version, default):
     'lz4/stream/_stream.c'
 ]
 
-if liblz4_found is True:
+use_system_liblz4_env = os.environ.get("PYLZ4_USE_SYSTEM_LZ4", "True")
+if use_system_liblz4_env.upper() in ("1", "TRUE"):
+    use_system_liblz4 = True
+else:
+    use_system_liblz4 = False
+
+if liblz4_found is True and use_system_liblz4 is True:
     extension_kwargs['libraries'] = ['lz4']
 else:
     extension_kwargs['include_dirs'] = ['lz4libs']
@@ -97,7 +103,7 @@ def pkgconfig_installed_check(lib, required_version, default):
         ]
     )
 
-compiler = ccompiler.get_default_compiler()
+compiler = new_compiler().compiler_type
 
 if compiler == 'msvc':
     extension_kwargs['extra_compile_args'] = [
@@ -107,7 +113,7 @@ def pkgconfig_installed_check(lib, required_version, default):
         '/wd4820',
     ]
 elif compiler in ('unix', 'mingw32'):
-    if liblz4_found:
+    if liblz4_found is True and use_system_liblz4 is True:
         extension_kwargs = pkgconfig_parse('liblz4')
     else:
         extension_kwargs['extra_compile_args'] = [