diff --git a/src/cps/loader.cpp b/src/cps/loader.cpp
index 9617a42..4578684 100644
--- a/src/cps/loader.cpp
+++ b/src/cps/loader.cpp
@@ -116,12 +116,14 @@ namespace cps::loader {
 
             const nlohmann::json & value = parent[name];
             if (value.is_object()) {
-                // TODO: simplify this further, maybe with a loop?
-                auto && cb = [](auto && r) { return r.value_or(std::vector<std::string>{}); };
-                ret[KnownLanguages::c] = CPS_TRY(get_optional<std::vector<std::string>>(value, name, "c").map(cb));
-                ret[KnownLanguages::cxx] = CPS_TRY(get_optional<std::vector<std::string>>(value, name, "c++").map(cb));
+                auto && fallback = CPS_TRY(get_optional<std::vector<std::string>>(value, name, "*"))
+                                       .value_or(std::vector<std::string>{});
+                ret[KnownLanguages::c] =
+                    CPS_TRY(get_optional<std::vector<std::string>>(value, name, "c")).value_or(fallback);
+                ret[KnownLanguages::cxx] =
+                    CPS_TRY(get_optional<std::vector<std::string>>(value, name, "c++")).value_or(fallback);
                 ret[KnownLanguages::fortran] =
-                    CPS_TRY(get_optional<std::vector<std::string>>(value, name, "fortran").map(cb));
+                    CPS_TRY(get_optional<std::vector<std::string>>(value, name, "fortran")).value_or(fallback);
             } else if (value.is_array()) {
                 std::vector<std::string> fin;
                 for (auto && v : value) {
@@ -150,12 +152,13 @@ namespace cps::loader {
                 return tl::unexpected(fmt::format("Section `{}` of `{}` is not an object", parent_name, name));
             }
 
-            const auto getter = [&](const std::string & lang) -> tl::expected<std::vector<Define>, std::string> {
-                std::vector<Define> ret2;
+            const auto getter =
+                [&](const std::string & lang) -> tl::expected<std::optional<std::vector<Define>>, std::string> {
                 if (!defines.contains(lang)) {
-                    return ret2;
+                    return std::nullopt;
                 }
 
+                std::vector<Define> ret2;
                 for (auto && [k, v] : defines.at(lang).items()) {
                     if (v.is_null()) {
                         ret2.emplace_back(Define{k});
@@ -172,9 +175,10 @@ namespace cps::loader {
                 return ret2;
             };
 
-            ret[KnownLanguages::c] = CPS_TRY(getter("c"));
-            ret[KnownLanguages::cxx] = CPS_TRY(getter("cxx"));
-            ret[KnownLanguages::fortran] = CPS_TRY(getter("fortran"));
+            auto && fallback = CPS_TRY(getter("*")).value_or(std::vector<Define>{});
+            ret[KnownLanguages::c] = CPS_TRY(getter("c")).value_or(fallback);
+            ret[KnownLanguages::cxx] = CPS_TRY(getter("cxx")).value_or(fallback);
+            ret[KnownLanguages::fortran] = CPS_TRY(getter("fortran")).value_or(fallback);
 
             return ret;
         };
diff --git a/tests/cases/cps-config.toml b/tests/cases/cps-config.toml
index 4bddd10..5de331e 100644
--- a/tests/cases/cps-config.toml
+++ b/tests/cases/cps-config.toml
@@ -108,3 +108,15 @@ name = "component link-flags only other"
 cps = "multiple-components"
 args = ["flags", "--component", "link-flags", "--libs-only-other"]
 expected = "-flto"
+
+[[case]]
+name = "Star components"
+cps = "full"
+args = ["flags", "--component", "star_values", "--cflags", "--print-errors"]
+expected = "-fvectorize -I/usr/local/include -I/opt/include -DBAR=2 -DFOO=1 -DOTHER"
+
+[[case]]
+name = "Star components override by name"
+cps = "full"
+args = ["flags", "--component", "star_values_override", "--cflags", "--print-errors"]
+expected = "-fvectorize -I/usr/local/include -I/opt/include -DBAR=2 -DFOO=1 -DOTHER"
diff --git a/tests/cps-files/lib/cps/full.cps b/tests/cps-files/lib/cps/full.cps
index e7c2be2..5f3fdac 100644
--- a/tests/cps-files/lib/cps/full.cps
+++ b/tests/cps-files/lib/cps/full.cps
@@ -46,6 +46,63 @@
             },
             "location": "/something/lib/libfoo.so.1.2.0",
             "link_location": "/something/lib/libfoo.so"
+        },
+        "star_values": {
+            "type": "dylib",
+            "compile_flags": {
+                "*": ["-fvectorize"]
+            },
+            "includes": {
+                "*": [
+                    "/usr/local/include",
+                    "/opt/include"
+                ]
+            },
+            "link_flags": [
+                "-L/usr/lib/",
+                "-lbar",
+                "-flto"
+            ],
+            "definitions": {
+                "*": {
+                    "FOO": "1",
+                    "BAR": "2",
+                    "OTHER": null
+                }
+            },
+            "location": "/something/lib/libfoo.so.1.2.0",
+            "link_location": "/something/lib/libfoo.so"
+        },
+        "star_values_override": {
+            "type": "dylib",
+            "compile_flags": {
+                "c": ["-fvectorize"],
+                "*": ["-bad-value"]
+            },
+            "includes": {
+                "c": [
+                    "/usr/local/include",
+                    "/opt/include"
+                ],
+                "*": ["/dev/null"]
+            },
+            "link_flags": [
+                "-L/usr/lib/",
+                "-lbar",
+                "-flto"
+            ],
+            "definitions": {
+                "c": {
+                    "FOO": "1",
+                    "BAR": "2",
+                    "OTHER": null
+                },
+                "*": {
+                    "BAD": "value"
+                }
+            },
+            "location": "/something/lib/libfoo.so.1.2.0",
+            "link_location": "/something/lib/libfoo.so"
         }
     },
     "default_components": [