diff --git a/package/qemu/qemu.mk b/package/qemu/qemu.mk
index a91f9d3eeb..1a5c642726 100644
--- a/package/qemu/qemu.mk
+++ b/package/qemu/qemu.mk
@@ -246,9 +246,12 @@ endif
 endif
 HOST_QEMU_SYS_ARCH ?= $(HOST_QEMU_ARCH)
 
+HOST_QEMU_CFLAGS = $(HOST_CFLAGS)
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_QEMU_SYSTEM_MODE),y)
 HOST_QEMU_TARGETS += $(HOST_QEMU_SYS_ARCH)-softmmu
 HOST_QEMU_OPTS += --enable-system --enable-fdt
+HOST_QEMU_CFLAGS += -I$(HOST_DIR)/include/libfdt
 HOST_QEMU_DEPENDENCIES += host-dtc
 else
 HOST_QEMU_OPTS += --disable-system
@@ -297,7 +300,7 @@ define HOST_QEMU_CONFIGURE_CMDS
 		--interp-prefix=$(STAGING_DIR) \
 		--cc="$(HOSTCC)" \
 		--host-cc="$(HOSTCC)" \
-		--extra-cflags="$(HOST_CFLAGS)" \
+		--extra-cflags="$(HOST_QEMU_CFLAGS)" \
 		--extra-ldflags="$(HOST_LDFLAGS)" \
 		$(HOST_QEMU_OPTS)
 endef