diff --git a/py-polars/Makefile b/py-polars/Makefile
index fc636fcbcd2e..94774bc641ec 100644
--- a/py-polars/Makefile
+++ b/py-polars/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@
 
 PYTHONPATH=
 SHELL=/bin/bash
-VENV = .venv
+VENV_DEFAULT=.venv
+
+ifeq ($(VIRTUAL_ENV), )
+	VENV=VENV_DEFAULT
+else
+	VENV=$(VIRTUAL_ENV)
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(OS),Windows_NT)
 	VENV_BIN=$(VENV)/Scripts
@@ -10,10 +16,16 @@ else
 	VENV_BIN=$(VENV)/bin
 endif
 
+
 .venv:  ## Set up virtual environment and install requirements
 	python3 -m venv $(VENV)
 	$(MAKE) requirements
 
+
+testing:  ## stuff
+    ## https://gist.github.com/rueycheng/42e355d1480fd7a33ee81c866c7fdf78
+	@echo $(dir $(VENV_BIN))
+
 .PHONY: requirements
 requirements: .venv  ## Install/refresh all project requirements
 	$(VENV_BIN)/python -m pip install --upgrade pip