diff --git a/iproute2.spec b/iproute2.spec
index 097c6dc..e255cad 100644
--- a/iproute2.spec
+++ b/iproute2.spec
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ find . -name *.orig -print0 | xargs -r0 rm -v
 # build with -fPIC. For details see
 # https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=388021
 xtlibdir="$(pkg-config xtables --variable=xtlibdir)";
-make %{?_smp_mflags} LIBDIR=%_libdir CCOPTS="-D_GNU_SOURCE %optflags -Wstrict-prototypes -fPIC -DXT_LIB_DIR=\"$xtlibdir\""
+make %{?_smp_mflags} LIBDIR=%_libdir CCOPTS="-D_GNU_SOURCE %optflags -Wstrict-prototypes -fPIC -DXT_LIB_DIR=\\\"$xtlibdir\\\""
 cd doc
 make pdf