diff --git a/1989/ovdluhe/Makefile b/1989/ovdluhe/Makefile
index 73910cea0..c9b79ee6e 100644
--- a/1989/ovdluhe/Makefile
+++ b/1989/ovdluhe/Makefile
@@ -140,8 +140,11 @@ ${PROG}: ${PROG}.c
 alt: data ${ALT_TARGET}
 	@${TRUE}
 
+# Variable to simplify reconfiguring P
+#
+P= '(A<<AP)'
 ${PROG}.alt: ${PROG}.alt.c
-	${CC} ${CFLAGS} $< -o $@ ${LDFLAGS}
+	${CC} ${CFLAGS} -DP=${P} $< -o $@ ${LDFLAGS}
 
 # data files
 #
diff --git a/1989/ovdluhe/README.md b/1989/ovdluhe/README.md
index 6904d0179..84fb6c747 100644
--- a/1989/ovdluhe/README.md
+++ b/1989/ovdluhe/README.md
@@ -35,11 +35,12 @@ it's a `#define` it's easy to set up.
 ### Alternate build:
 
 ```sh
-make CFLAGS="-DP=9" clobber alt
+make P=9 clobber alt
 ```
 
 You do not have to define `P` but if you do you can replace the value with
-whatever you wish, as long as it's an int.
+whatever you wish, as long as it's an int (or evaluates to an int like the
+default `(A<<AP)` does).
 
 
 ### Alternate use:
@@ -48,6 +49,16 @@ whatever you wish, as long as it's an int.
 ./ovdluhe.alt
 ```
 
+### Alternate try:
+
+```sh
+./try.alt.sh
+
+P=5 ./try.alt.sh
+```
+
+NOTE: if you specify too high a value for `P` the program might fail.
+
 
 ## Judges' remarks:
 
diff --git a/1989/ovdluhe/try.alt.sh b/1989/ovdluhe/try.alt.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..65aa1d519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/1989/ovdluhe/try.alt.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# try.alt.sh - demonstrate IOCCC winner 1989/ovdluhe.alt alt code
+#
+
+# make sure CC is set so that when we do make CC="$CC" it isn't empty. Doing it
+# this way allows us to have the user specify a different compiler in an easy
+# way.
+if [[ -z "$CC" ]]; then
+    CC="cc"
+fi
+
+# user may also reconfigure P
+if [[ -n "$P" ]]; then
+    make clobber CC="$CC" P="$P" alt >/dev/null || exit 1
+else
+    make clobber CC="$CC" alt >/dev/null || exit 1
+fi
+
+# clear screen after compilation so that only the entry is shown
+
+i=0
+for ((i=0; i<4; ++i)); do
+    read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./ovdluhe.alt < ovdluhe.alt.c: "
+    echo 1>&2
+    ./ovdluhe.alt < ovdluhe.alt.c
+    echo 1>&2
+
+    read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./ovdluhe.alt < README.md: "
+    echo 1>&2
+    ./ovdluhe.alt < README.md
+    echo 1>&2
+
+    read -r -n 1 -p "Press any key to run: ./ovdluhe.alt < Makefile: "
+    echo 1>&2
+    ./ovdluhe.alt < Makefile
+    echo 1>&2
+done
diff --git a/thanks-for-help.md b/thanks-for-help.md
index 76169a5bd..5ab7bd13e 100644
--- a/thanks-for-help.md
+++ b/thanks-for-help.md
@@ -819,9 +819,11 @@ the program on each file four times in a row but rather does it on each file
 and starts over, doing it four times, to help with hopefully allowing different
 output.
 
-Cody also provided an [alternate version](/1989/ovdluhe/ovdluhe.alt.c) based on the
-author's remarks. See the README.md for details. The fix described above was
-fixed in this version too, after it was discovered and fixed.
+Cody also provided an [alternate version](/1989/ovdluhe/ovdluhe.alt.c) based on
+the author's remarks and the [try.alt.sh](/1989/ovdluhe/try.alt.sh) script that
+uses the alt code, allowing one to configure the alt build. See the README.md
+for details. The fix described above was fixed in this version too, after it was
+discovered and fixed.
 
 
 ## <a name="1989_paul"></a>[1989/paul](/1989/paul/paul.c) ([README.md](/1989/paul/README.md]))