diff --git a/utils/checkpackagelib/lib_mk.py b/utils/checkpackagelib/lib_mk.py
index 6ed6011921..817e80923e 100644
--- a/utils/checkpackagelib/lib_mk.py
+++ b/utils/checkpackagelib/lib_mk.py
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ class UselessFlag(_CheckFunction):
                     .format(self.filename, lineno, self.url_to_manual),
                     text]
 
-        if self.DEFAULT_AUTOTOOLS_FLAG.search(text):
+        if self.DEFAULT_AUTOTOOLS_FLAG.search(text) and not text.lstrip().startswith("HOST_"):
             return ["{}:{}: useless default value "
                     "({}#_infrastructure_for_autotools_based_packages)"
                     .format(self.filename, lineno, self.url_to_manual),