diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 0213c3846dc..e428141da24 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -3537,7 +3537,7 @@ libsystemd_journal_internal_la_SOURCES = \
 	src/journal/mmap-cache.h
 
 # using _CFLAGS = in the conditional below would suppress AM_CFLAGS
-libsystemd_journal_internal_la_CFLAGS =
+libsystemd_journal_internal_la_CFLAGS = \
 	$(AM_CFLAGS)
 
 libsystemd_journal_internal_la_LIBADD =