diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 3b18ebd3e969aaadf26140f16d35bf612687563b..a451acff88d065405d0b474e1c5311cf11cc2b28 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST += harfbuzz.pc.in
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES += libharfbuzz-subset.la
 libharfbuzz_subset_la_SOURCES = $(HB_SUBSET_sources)
-libharfbuzz_subset_la_CPPFLAGS = $(HBCFLAGS) $(HBNOLIBCXXFLAGS)
+libharfbuzz_subset_la_CPPFLAGS = $(HBCFLAGS) $(HBLIBCXXFLAGS)
 libharfbuzz_subset_la_LDFLAGS = $(base_link_flags) $(export_symbols_subset)
 libharfbuzz_subset_la_LIBADD = libharfbuzz.la
 EXTRA_libharfbuzz_subset_la_DEPENDENCIES = $(harfbuzz_subset_def_dependency)