diff --git a/cf-agent/Makefile.am b/cf-agent/Makefile.am
index afc788b761..8429d47e80 100644
--- a/cf-agent/Makefile.am
+++ b/cf-agent/Makefile.am
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/../libpromises -I$(srcdir)/../libntech/libutils \
 	-I$(srcdir)/../libcfecompat \
 	-I$(srcdir)/../libcfnet \
 	-I$(srcdir)/../cf-check \
-	@CPPFLAGS@ \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(OPENSSL_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(PCRE2_CPPFLAGS) \
@@ -38,7 +37,6 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/../libpromises -I$(srcdir)/../libntech/libutils \
 	$(PAM_CPPFLAGS)
 
 AM_CFLAGS = \
-	@CFLAGS@ \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CFLAGS) \
 	$(OPENSSL_CFLAGS) \
 	$(PCRE2_CFLAGS) \
diff --git a/cf-check/Makefile.am b/cf-check/Makefile.am
index c70b3f51a5..42684d2779 100644
--- a/cf-check/Makefile.am
+++ b/cf-check/Makefile.am
@@ -26,14 +26,12 @@ noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libcf-check.la
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/../libntech/libutils \
 	-I$(srcdir)/../libntech/libcompat \
 	-I$(srcdir)/../libcfecompat \
-	@CPPFLAGS@ \
 	$(PCRE2_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(LIBYAML_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(LMDB_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(OPENSSL_CPPFLAGS)
 
 AM_CFLAGS = \
-	@CFLAGS@ \
 	$(LMDB_CFLAGS) \
 	$(PCRE2_CFLAGS) \
 	$(LIBYAML_CFLAGS) \
diff --git a/cf-monitord/Makefile.am b/cf-monitord/Makefile.am
index 9e332ab433..3236931836 100644
--- a/cf-monitord/Makefile.am
+++ b/cf-monitord/Makefile.am
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	$(OPENSSL_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CPPFLAGS)
 
-AM_CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@ \
+AM_CFLAGS = \
 	$(OPENSSL_CFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/cf-net/Makefile.am b/cf-net/Makefile.am
index acaad3f8c5..3902f59fdc 100644
--- a/cf-net/Makefile.am
+++ b/cf-net/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/../libpromises -I$(srcdir)/../libntech/libutils \
 	$(PCRE2_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CPPFLAGS)
 
-AM_CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@ \
+AM_CFLAGS = \
 	$(OPENSSL_CFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/cf-promises/Makefile.am b/cf-promises/Makefile.am
index 998057ce39..55d98f72d3 100644
--- a/cf-promises/Makefile.am
+++ b/cf-promises/Makefile.am
@@ -28,12 +28,11 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-I$(srcdir)/../libpromises \
 	-I$(srcdir)/../libcfecompat \
 	-I$(srcdir)/../libcfnet \
-	@CPPFLAGS@ \
 	$(OPENSSL_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(PCRE2_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CPPFLAGS)
 
-AM_CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@ \
+AM_CFLAGS = \
 	$(OPENSSL_CFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/cf-runagent/Makefile.am b/cf-runagent/Makefile.am
index 4daf9d489b..477abc1a5b 100644
--- a/cf-runagent/Makefile.am
+++ b/cf-runagent/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/../libpromises -I$(srcdir)/../libntech/libutils \
 	$(PCRE2_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CPPFLAGS)
 
-AM_CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@ \
+AM_CFLAGS = \
 	$(OPENSSL_CFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/cf-secret/Makefile.am b/cf-secret/Makefile.am
index ca35702f4a..6fa47d655f 100644
--- a/cf-secret/Makefile.am
+++ b/cf-secret/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/../libpromises -I$(srcdir)/../libntech/libutils \
 	$(PCRE2_CPPFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CPPFLAGS)
 
-AM_CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@ \
+AM_CFLAGS = \
 	$(OPENSSL_CFLAGS) \
 	$(ENTERPRISE_CFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 6202c22835..b66741f50c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ dnl ######################################################################
 dnl Checks for programs.
 dnl ######################################################################
 
+: ${CFLAGS=""}
+: ${CPPFLAGS=""}
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_MKDIR_P
 AC_EXEEXT
@@ -1397,8 +1399,8 @@ dnl ######################################################################
 dnl Collect all the options
 dnl ######################################################################
 
-CORE_CPPFLAGS="$LMDB_CPPFLAGS $TOKYOCABINET_CPPFLAGS $QDBM_CPPFLAGS $PCRE2_CPPFLAGS $OPENSSL_CPPFLAGS $SQLITE3_CPPFLAGS $LIBACL_CPPFLAGS $LIBCURL_CPPFLAGS $LIBRSYNC_CPPFLAGS $LIBYAML_CPPFLAGS $POSTGRESQL_CPPFLAGS $MYSQL_CPPFLAGS $LIBXML2_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS $CFECOMPAT_CPPFLAGS"
-CORE_CFLAGS="$LMDB_CFLAGS $TOKYOCABINET_CFLAGS $QDBM_CFLAGS $PCRE2_CFLAGS $OPENSSL_CFLAGS $SQLITE3_CFLAGS $LIBACL_CFLAGS $LIBCURL_CFLAGS $LIBRSYNC_CFLAGS $LIBYAML_CFLAGS $POSTGRESQL_CFLAGS $MYSQL_CFLAGS $LIBXML2_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
+CORE_CPPFLAGS="$LMDB_CPPFLAGS $TOKYOCABINET_CPPFLAGS $QDBM_CPPFLAGS $PCRE2_CPPFLAGS $OPENSSL_CPPFLAGS $SQLITE3_CPPFLAGS $LIBACL_CPPFLAGS $LIBCURL_CPPFLAGS $LIBRSYNC_CPPFLAGS $LIBYAML_CPPFLAGS $POSTGRESQL_CPPFLAGS $MYSQL_CPPFLAGS $LIBXML2_CPPFLAGS $CFECOMPAT_CPPFLAGS"
+CORE_CFLAGS="$LMDB_CFLAGS $TOKYOCABINET_CFLAGS $QDBM_CFLAGS $PCRE2_CFLAGS $OPENSSL_CFLAGS $SQLITE3_CFLAGS $LIBACL_CFLAGS $LIBCURL_CFLAGS $LIBRSYNC_CFLAGS $LIBYAML_CFLAGS $POSTGRESQL_CFLAGS $MYSQL_CFLAGS $LIBXML2_CFLAGS"
 CORE_LDFLAGS="$LMDB_LDFLAGS $TOKYOCABINET_LDFLAGS $QDBM_LDFLAGS $PCRE2_LDFLAGS $OPENSSL_LDFLAGS $SQLITE3_LDFLAGS $LIBACL_LDFLAGS $LIBCURL_LDFLAGS $LIBRSYNC_LDFLAGS $LIBYAML_LDFLAGS $POSTGRESQL_LDFLAGS $MYSQL_LDFLAGS $LIBXML2_LDFLAGS $LDFLAGS"
 CORE_LIBS="$LMDB_LIBS $TOKYOCABINET_LIBS $QDBM_LIBS $PCRE2_LIBS $OPENSSL_LIBS $SQLITE3_LIBS $LIBACL_LIBS $LIBCURL_LIBS $LIBRSYNC_LIBS $LIBYAML_LIBS $POSTGRESQL_LIBS $MYSQL_LIBS $LIBXML2_LIBS $LIBS"