diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf.py
index f04089cec9..eb7457a671 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def configure(self):
 
         # add -DgFortran to CPPFLAGS when building with GCC
         if self.toolkit().comp_family() == toolkit.GCC:
-            env.set('CPPFLAGS', "%s -DgFortran" % os.getenv('CPPFLAGS'))
+            self.updatecfg('configopts', 'CPPFLAGS="%s -DgFortran"' % os.getenv('CPPFLAGS'))
 
         Application.configure(self)
 
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf_fortran.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf_fortran.py
index 10054015c0..5274cc4818 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf_fortran.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf_fortran.py
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 
 import os
 
-import easybuild.tools.environment as env
 import easybuild.tools.toolkit as toolkit
 from easybuild.framework.application import Application
 
@@ -46,7 +45,7 @@ def configure(self):
 
         # add -DgFortran to CPPFLAGS when building with GCC
         if self.toolkit().comp_family() == toolkit.GCC:
-            env.set('CPPFLAGS', "%s -DgFortran" % os.getenv('CPPFLAGS'))
+            self.updatecfg('configopts', 'CPPFLAGS="%s -DgFortran"' % os.getenv('CPPFLAGS'))
 
         Application.configure(self)