diff --git a/package/matchbox/matchbox-keyboard/matchbox-keyboard.mk b/package/matchbox/matchbox-keyboard/matchbox-keyboard.mk
index 7c6d4557f..3d7178d14 100644
--- a/package/matchbox/matchbox-keyboard/matchbox-keyboard.mk
+++ b/package/matchbox/matchbox-keyboard/matchbox-keyboard.mk
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_VERSION = 0.1
 MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_SOURCE = matchbox-keyboard-$(MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_VERSION).tar.bz2
 MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_SITE = http://matchbox-project.org/sources/matchbox-keyboard/$(MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_VERSION)
 MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_DEPENDENCIES = matchbox-lib matchbox-fakekey
-MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_CONF_OPT = --enable-expat
+
+# Workaround bug in configure script
+MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_CONF_ENV = expat=yes
 
 define MATCHBOX_KEYBOARD_POST_INSTALL_FIXES
  cp -dpf ./package/matchbox/matchbox-keyboard/mb-applet-kbd-wrapper.sh $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/bin/
diff --git a/package/matchbox/matchbox-wm/matchbox-wm.mk b/package/matchbox/matchbox-wm/matchbox-wm.mk
index fbf3456e7..0334d0f0c 100644
--- a/package/matchbox/matchbox-wm/matchbox-wm.mk
+++ b/package/matchbox/matchbox-wm/matchbox-wm.mk
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ MATCHBOX_WM_SITE = http://matchbox-project.org/sources/matchbox-window-manager/$
 MATCHBOX_WM_DEPENDENCIES = matchbox-lib
 MATCHBOX_WM_CONF_OPT = --enable-expat
 
+# Workaround bug in configure script
+MATCHBOX_WM_CONF_ENV = expat=yes
+
 #############################################################
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_X11R7_LIBXCOMPOSITE),y)