diff --git a/recipes/gzrt/build.sh b/recipes/gzrt/build.sh
index 7108f5a7656cd..c912bc43c9d6e 100644
--- a/recipes/gzrt/build.sh
+++ b/recipes/gzrt/build.sh
@@ -8,23 +8,33 @@ if [ -z "$PREFIX" ]; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# Ensure that the CC environment variable is set (for compiler)
-if [ -z "$CC" ]; then
-    echo "CC environment variable not set, but it is required."
-    exit 1
+export CFLAGS="${CFLAGS:-} -I${PREFIX}/include"
+export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS:-} -L${PREFIX}/lib"
+export CPATH="${PREFIX}/include"
+
+# If-body reserved to docker build
+if [ ! -f "$(command -v cc)" ]; then
+    # Ensure that the CC environment variable is set (for compiler)
+    if [ -z "$CC" ]; then
+        echo "CC environment variable not set, but it is required."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    # Create a temporary directory
+    mkdir -p "$SRC_DIR/bin"
+
+    # Create a symlink named cc that points to $CC
+    CC_PATH="$(which "${CC}")"  
+    if [ ! -x "${CC_PATH}" ]; then  
+        echo "Could not find compiler at: ${CC_PATH}"  
+        exit 1  
+    fi  
+    ln -sf "${CC_PATH}" "${SRC_DIR}/bin/cc"
+
+    # Prepend the temporary directory to the PATH
+    export PATH="${SRC_DIR}/bin:${PATH}"
 fi
 
-export CPATH=${PREFIX}/include
-
-# Create a temporary directory
-mkdir -p $SRC_DIR/bin
-
-# Create a symlink named cc that points to $CC
-ln -sf $(which $CC) $SRC_DIR/bin/cc
-
-# Prepend the temporary directory to the PATH
-export PATH=$SRC_DIR/bin:$PATH
-
 if ! make; then
     echo "Build failed"
     exit 1
diff --git a/recipes/gzrt/meta.yaml b/recipes/gzrt/meta.yaml
index 7b33204eaec43..703c3fd209dcb 100644
--- a/recipes/gzrt/meta.yaml
+++ b/recipes/gzrt/meta.yaml
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ requirements:
 test:
   commands:
     - gzrecover -h
+    # Create and test with a corrupted gzip file
+    - echo "test" | gzip > test.gz
+    - dd if=/dev/zero of=test.gz bs=1 count=1 seek=5 conv=notrunc
+    - gzrecover test.gz || [[ $? -eq 1 ]]
 
 about:
   home: https://www.urbanophile.com/arenn/hacking/gzrt
@@ -36,3 +40,7 @@ about:
     gzrecover is a program that will attempt to extract any readable data
     out of a gzip file that has been corrupted.
   dev_url: https://github.com/arenn/gzrt
+
+extra:
+  recipe-maintainers:
+    - mazzalab