diff --git a/package/autoconf/autoconf.mk b/package/autoconf/autoconf.mk
index b7c1fe4d1..722165c52 100644
--- a/package/autoconf/autoconf.mk
+++ b/package/autoconf/autoconf.mk
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ $(eval $(call AUTOTARGETS,package,autoconf,host))
 # variables used by other packages
 AUTOCONF:=$(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/autoconf
 AUTOHEADER:=$(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/autoheader
-AUTORECONF=$(HOST_CONFIGURE_OPTS) ACLOCAL="$(ACLOCAL)" AUTOHEADER="$(AUTOHEADER)" $(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/autoreconf -v -f -i -I "$(ACLOCAL_DIR)"
+AUTORECONF=$(HOST_CONFIGURE_OPTS) ACLOCAL="$(ACLOCAL)" AUTOHEADER="$(AUTOHEADER)" AUTOMAKE="$(AUTOMAKE)" $(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/autoreconf -v -f -i -I "$(ACLOCAL_DIR)"
diff --git a/package/automake/automake.mk b/package/automake/automake.mk
index db935a466..46bb773a1 100644
--- a/package/automake/automake.mk
+++ b/package/automake/automake.mk
@@ -25,6 +25,6 @@ $(eval $(call AUTOTARGETS,package,automake))
 $(eval $(call AUTOTARGETS,package,automake,host))
 
 # variables used by other packages
-AUTOMAKE:=$(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/automake
+AUTOMAKE = $(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/automake
 ACLOCAL_DIR = $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/share/aclocal
 ACLOCAL = $(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/aclocal -I $(ACLOCAL_DIR)