diff --git a/package/netsurf/netsurf.mk b/package/netsurf/netsurf.mk
index e5a251b9c1..2e17c5768f 100644
--- a/package/netsurf/netsurf.mk
+++ b/package/netsurf/netsurf.mk
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_NETSURF_SDL),y)
 NETSURF_DEPENDENCIES += sdl host-libpng
 NETSURF_FRONTEND = framebuffer
 NETSURF_CONFIG = \
-	HOST_CFLAGS=-I$(HOST_DIR)/include \
-	HOST_LDFLAGS='-lpng -L$(HOST_DIR)/lib'
+	HOST_CFLAGS='$(HOST_CFLAGS)' \
+	HOST_LDFLAGS='$(HOST_LDFLAGS) -lpng'
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_FREETYPE),y)
 NETSURF_DEPENDENCIES += freetype
 define NETSURF_FONTLIB_CONFIGURE_CMDS