diff --git a/tools/build/feature/Makefile b/tools/build/feature/Makefile
index ac9c477a2a48..46af3bb56142 100644
--- a/tools/build/feature/Makefile
+++ b/tools/build/feature/Makefile
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ strip-libs = $(filter-out -l%,$(1))
 PERL_EMBED_LDOPTS = $(shell perl -MExtUtils::Embed -e ldopts 2>/dev/null)
 PERL_EMBED_LDFLAGS = $(call strip-libs,$(PERL_EMBED_LDOPTS))
 PERL_EMBED_LIBADD = $(call grep-libs,$(PERL_EMBED_LDOPTS))
-PERL_EMBED_CCOPTS = `perl -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts 2>/dev/null`
+PERL_EMBED_CCOPTS = $(shell perl -MExtUtils::Embed -e ccopts 2>/dev/null)
 FLAGS_PERL_EMBED=$(PERL_EMBED_CCOPTS) $(PERL_EMBED_LDOPTS)
 
 $(OUTPUT)test-libperl.bin: