diff --git a/meta-initramfs/classes/klibc.bbclass b/meta-initramfs/classes/klibc.bbclass
index ca50a3d431..c91ca60391 100644
--- a/meta-initramfs/classes/klibc.bbclass
+++ b/meta-initramfs/classes/klibc.bbclass
@@ -9,8 +9,13 @@ CC:append:armv7ve = " ${@' -mfloat-abi=${TUNE_CCARGS_MFLOAT}' if (d.getVar('TUNE
 CC:append:armv7a = " ${@' -mfloat-abi=${TUNE_CCARGS_MFLOAT}' if (d.getVar('TUNE_CCARGS_MFLOAT') != '') else ''}"
 
 # klcc uses own optimizations by default. See klcc(1) man file.
-export CFLAGS="${TUNE_CCARGS} ${DEBUG_PREFIX_MAP}"
-export CPPFLAGS="${TUNE_CCARGS}"
-export LDFLAGS="${TUNE_CCARGS}"
+CFLAGS = "${TUNE_CCARGS} ${DEBUG_PREFIX_MAP}"
+CFLAGS[export] = "1"
+
+CPPFLAGS = "${TUNE_CCARGS}"
+CPPFLAGS[export] = "1"
+
+LDFLAGS = "${TUNE_CCARGS}"
+LDFLAGS[export] = "1"
 
 OVERRIDES =. "libc-klibc:"