diff --git a/src/occa/internal/modes/cuda/device.cpp b/src/occa/internal/modes/cuda/device.cpp
index d99a67f47..0a6c5b7c1 100644
--- a/src/occa/internal/modes/cuda/device.cpp
+++ b/src/occa/internal/modes/cuda/device.cpp
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ namespace occa {
         compiler = "nvcc";
       }
 
-      if (env::var("OCCA_CUDA_COMPILER_FLAGS").size()) {
-        compilerFlags = env::var("OCCA_CUDA_COMPILER_FLAGS");
-      } else if (kernelProps.get<std::string>("compiler_flags").size()) {
+      if (kernelProps.get<std::string>("compiler_flags").size()) {
         compilerFlags = (std::string) kernelProps["compiler_flags"];
+      } else if (env::var("OCCA_CUDA_COMPILER_FLAGS").size()) {
+        compilerFlags = env::var("OCCA_CUDA_COMPILER_FLAGS");
       } else {
         compilerFlags = "-O3";
       }
diff --git a/src/occa/internal/modes/dpcpp/utils.cpp b/src/occa/internal/modes/dpcpp/utils.cpp
index a9ac6fceb..ab2c9a2f4 100644
--- a/src/occa/internal/modes/dpcpp/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/occa/internal/modes/dpcpp/utils.cpp
@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ namespace occa
     void setCompilerFlags(occa::json &dpcpp_properties) noexcept
     {
       std::string compiler_flags;
-      if (env::var("OCCA_DPCPP_COMPILER_FLAGS").size())
+      if (dpcpp_properties.has("compiler_flags"))
       {
-        compiler_flags = env::var("OCCA_DPCPP_COMPILER_FLAGS");
+        compiler_flags = dpcpp_properties["compiler_flags"].toString();
       }
-      else if (dpcpp_properties.has("compiler_flags"))
+      else if (env::var("OCCA_DPCPP_COMPILER_FLAGS").size())
       {
-        compiler_flags = dpcpp_properties["compiler_flags"].toString();
+        compiler_flags = env::var("OCCA_DPCPP_COMPILER_FLAGS");
       }
       dpcpp_properties["compiler_flags"] = compiler_flags;
     }
diff --git a/src/occa/internal/modes/hip/device.cpp b/src/occa/internal/modes/hip/device.cpp
index 7b06770ea..390885ab6 100644
--- a/src/occa/internal/modes/hip/device.cpp
+++ b/src/occa/internal/modes/hip/device.cpp
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ namespace occa {
         compiler = "hipcc";
       }
 
-      if (env::var("OCCA_HIP_COMPILER_FLAGS").size()) {
-        compilerFlags = env::var("OCCA_HIP_COMPILER_FLAGS");
-      } else if (kernelProps.get<std::string>("compiler_flags").size()) {
+      if (kernelProps.get<std::string>("compiler_flags").size()) {
         compilerFlags = (std::string) kernelProps["compiler_flags"];
+      } else if (env::var("OCCA_HIP_COMPILER_FLAGS").size()) {
+        compilerFlags = env::var("OCCA_HIP_COMPILER_FLAGS");
       } else {
         compilerFlags = "-O3";
       }
diff --git a/src/occa/internal/modes/opencl/device.cpp b/src/occa/internal/modes/opencl/device.cpp
index 16be70241..c5d090751 100644
--- a/src/occa/internal/modes/opencl/device.cpp
+++ b/src/occa/internal/modes/opencl/device.cpp
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ namespace occa {
       std::string compilerFlags;
 
       // Use "-cl-opt-disable" for debug-mode
-      if (env::var("OCCA_OPENCL_COMPILER_FLAGS").size()) {
-        compilerFlags = env::var("OCCA_OPENCL_COMPILER_FLAGS");
-      } else if (kernelProps.has("compiler_flags")) {
+      if (kernelProps.has("compiler_flags")) {
         compilerFlags = (std::string) kernelProps["compiler_flags"];
+      } else if (env::var("OCCA_OPENCL_COMPILER_FLAGS").size()) {
+        compilerFlags = env::var("OCCA_OPENCL_COMPILER_FLAGS");
       }
 
       std::string ocl_c_ver = "2.0";
diff --git a/src/occa/internal/modes/serial/device.cpp b/src/occa/internal/modes/serial/device.cpp
index ce3df6586..4918265ca 100644
--- a/src/occa/internal/modes/serial/device.cpp
+++ b/src/occa/internal/modes/serial/device.cpp
@@ -193,12 +193,12 @@ namespace occa {
 #endif
       }
 
-      if (compilerLanguageFlag == sys::language::CPP && env::var("OCCA_CXXFLAGS").size()) {
+      if (kernelProps.get<std::string>("compiler_flags").size()) {
+        compilerFlags = (std::string) kernelProps["compiler_flags"];
+      } else if (compilerLanguageFlag == sys::language::CPP && env::var("OCCA_CXXFLAGS").size()) {
         compilerFlags = env::var("OCCA_CXXFLAGS");
       } else if (compilerLanguageFlag == sys::language::C && env::var("OCCA_CFLAGS").size()) {
         compilerFlags = env::var("OCCA_CFLAGS");
-      } else if (kernelProps.get<std::string>("compiler_flags").size()) {
-        compilerFlags = (std::string) kernelProps["compiler_flags"];
       } else if (compilerLanguageFlag == sys::language::CPP && env::var("CXXFLAGS").size()) {
         compilerFlags = env::var("CXXFLAGS");
       } else if (compilerLanguageFlag == sys::language::C && env::var("CFLAGS").size()) {