diff --git a/package/quota/quota.mk b/package/quota/quota.mk
index 3921860264..f4bf9e5c58 100644
--- a/package/quota/quota.mk
+++ b/package/quota/quota.mk
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ QUOTA_LICENSE_FILES = COPYING
 # We're patching configure.ac
 QUOTA_AUTORECONF = YES
 QUOTA_GETTEXTIZE = YES
-QUOTA_LIBS = $(TARGET_NLS_LIBS)
+QUOTA_CONF_ENV = LIBS="$(TARGET_NLS_LIBS)"
 QUOTA_CONF_OPTS = --disable-pie
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_DBUS)$(BR2_PACKAGE_LIBNL),yy)
@@ -40,6 +40,4 @@ else
 QUOTA_CONF_OPTS += --disable-ldapmail
 endif
 
-QUOTA_CONF_ENV = LIBS="$(QUOTA_LIBS)"
-
 $(eval $(autotools-package))