diff --git a/app/Makefile.am b/app/Makefile.am
index 3b4b919d1b2ddce7306ff2633cb726f3d25905f5..711097c790fc5a4333d94a88d25c6649c3d1d086 100644
--- a/app/Makefile.am
+++ b/app/Makefile.am
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ endif !ENABLE_CDI_APP
 #
 #
 cdi_SOURCES         = cdi.c printinfo.c printinfo.h
-cdi_LDADD           = $(top_builddir)/src/libcdi.la @LIBS@
+cdi_LDADD           = $(top_builddir)/src/libcdi.la $(LIBS)
 if ENABLE_ALL_STATIC
 cdi_LDFLAGS         = -all-static
 endif
diff --git a/interfaces/Makefile.am b/interfaces/Makefile.am
index f219e7c51d5d938c0bedf557ed0c2838ffa32b56..dad31a137b6f801bca964184218f01020e852771 100644
--- a/interfaces/Makefile.am
+++ b/interfaces/Makefile.am
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ noinst_PROGRAMS += CdiInfo
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES += libcdipp.la
 endif
 #
-locallibs = $(abs_top_builddir)/src/.libs/libcdi.so @LTLIBOBJS@ @NETCDF_LIBS@ @SZLIB_LIBS@
+locallibs = $(abs_top_builddir)/src/.libs/libcdi.so $(LTLIBOBJS) $(NETCDF_LIBS) $(SZLIB_LIBS)
 
 libcdipp_la_SOURCES = cdi.cpp cdi.hpp
 libcdipp_la_LIBADD  = $(top_builddir)/src/libcdi.la
-AM_LDFLAGS = @NETCDF_LIBS@ @SZLIB_LIBS@ $(LDFLAGS)
+AM_LDFLAGS = $(NETCDF_LIBS) $(SZLIB_LIBS) $(LDFLAGS)
 
 CdiInfo_SOURCES     = CdiInfo.cpp
 CdiInfo_LDADD       = libcdipp.la