diff --git a/package/netsurf/netsurf.mk b/package/netsurf/netsurf.mk
index 692d2b770c..e5a251b9c1 100644
--- a/package/netsurf/netsurf.mk
+++ b/package/netsurf/netsurf.mk
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ endif
 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$(HOST_DIR)/lib'
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_FREETYPE),y)
 NETSURF_DEPENDENCIES += freetype
 define NETSURF_FONTLIB_CONFIGURE_CMDS
@@ -76,6 +79,7 @@ NETSURF_MAKE_OPTS = \
 	CC="$(TARGET_CC)" \
 	AR="$(TARGET_AR)" \
 	TMP_PREFIX=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr \
+	NETSURF_CONFIG="$(NETSURF_CONFIG)" \
 	PREFIX=/usr
 
 define NETSURF_BUILD_CMDS