diff --git a/common/environment/configure/hardening.sh b/common/environment/configure/hardening.sh
index 591cf98ff53..d9d6172edf9 100644
--- a/common/environment/configure/hardening.sh
+++ b/common/environment/configure/hardening.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 # Enable SSP and FORITFY_SOURCE=2 by default.
-XBPS_CFLAGS+=" -fstack-protector-strong -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2"
-XBPS_CXXFLAGS+=" ${XBPS_CFLAGS}"
+CFLAGS=" -fstack-protector-strong -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 $CFLAGS"
+CXXFLAGS="-fstack-protector-strong -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 $CXXFLAGS"
 # Enable as-needed and relro by default.
-XBPS_LDFLAGS+=" -Wl,--as-needed -Wl,-z,relro"
+LDFLAGS="-Wl,--as-needed -Wl,-z,relro $LDFLAGS"
 
 if [ -z "$nopie" ]; then
 	_GCCSPECSDIR=${XBPS_COMMONDIR}/environment/configure/gccspecs
-	XBPS_CFLAGS+=" -specs=${_GCCSPECSDIR}/hardened-cc1"
-	XBPS_CXXFLAGS+=" -specs=${_GCCSPECSDIR}/hardened-cc1"
+	CFLAGS="-specs=${_GCCSPECSDIR}/hardened-cc1 $CFLAGS"
+	CXXFLAGS="-specs=${_GCCSPECSDIR}/hardened-cc1 $CXXFLAGS"
 	# We pass -z relro -z now here too, because libtool drops -specs...
-	XBPS_LDFLAGS+=" -specs=${_GCCSPECSDIR}/hardened-ld -Wl,-z,relro -Wl,-z,now"
+	LDFLAGS="-specs=${_GCCSPECSDIR}/hardened-ld -Wl,-z,relro -Wl,-z,now $LDFLAGS"
 fi