diff --git a/gst/Makefile.am b/gst/Makefile.am
index 1250ccad59..efd552391e 100644
--- a/gst/Makefile.am
+++ b/gst/Makefile.am
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ noinst_HEADERS = 	\
 	gstsparc.h	\
 	gstpropsprivate.h
 
-CFLAGS = $(LIBGST_CFLAGS) -D_GNU_SOURCE -DGST_CONFIG_DIR=\""@sysconfdir@/gstreamer"\"
+CFLAGS = $(LIBGST_CFLAGS) -D_GNU_SOURCE -DGST_CONFIG_DIR=\""$(GST_CONFIG_DIR)"\"
 LIBS = $(LIBGST_LIBS)
 LDFLAGS = ""
 libgst_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info $(GST_LIBVERSION)
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index 332aa836b4..9f1416d694 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -15,6 +15,6 @@ man_MANS = gstreamer-launch.1 gstreamer-register.1 gstreamer-inspect.1 \
 	gstreamer-complete.1 gstreamer-compprep.1
 
 LDADD = $(GST_LIBS)
-CFLAGS = $(LIBGST_CFLAGS) -DGST_CONFIG_DIR=\""@sysconfdir@/gstreamer"\"
+CFLAGS = $(LIBGST_CFLAGS) -DGST_CONFIG_DIR=\"$(GST_CONFIG_DIR)\"
 
 EXTRA_DIST = $(man_MANS)