diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 88f77d7a5e..9a4892394d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2875,7 +2875,7 @@ AG_GST_CHECK_FEATURE(QT, [Qt elements], qt, [
         QT_VERSION="`$PKG_CONFIG --modversion Qt5Core`"
         QPA_INCLUDE_PATH=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable=includedir Qt5Core`/QtGui/${QT_VERSION}/QtGui
         AS_IF([test -f "$QPA_INCLUDE_PATH/qpa/qplatformnativeinterface.h"], [
-          AC_SUBST(QPA_INCLUDE_PATH)
+          QT_CFLAGS="$QT_CFLAGS -I$QPA_INCLUDE_PATH"
           HAVE_QT_QPA_HEADER="yes"
         ], [AC_MSG_NOTICE([Cannot find QPA])])
         if test "x$GST_GL_HAVE_WINDOW_X11" = "x1" -a "x$GST_GL_HAVE_PLATFORM_GLX" = "x1"; then
diff --git a/ext/qt/Makefile.am b/ext/qt/Makefile.am
index eab3e97ec6..5fdd90a05b 100644
--- a/ext/qt/Makefile.am
+++ b/ext/qt/Makefile.am
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ libgstqtsink_la_SOURCES = \
 libgstqtsink_la_CXXFLAGS = \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/gst-libs \
 	-I$(top_builddir)/gst-libs \
-	-I$(QPA_INCLUDE_PATH) \
 	$(GST_CXXFLAGS) \
 	$(GST_BASE_CFLAGS) \
 	$(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_CFLAGS) \