diff --git a/package/meson/meson.mk b/package/meson/meson.mk
index 5b5100cccc..511be05a46 100644
--- a/package/meson/meson.mk
+++ b/package/meson/meson.mk
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ else
 HOST_MESON_TARGET_CPU_FAMILY = $(ARCH)
 endif
 
-HOST_MESON_SED_CFLAGS = $(if $(TARGET_CFLAGS),`printf '"%s"$(comma) ' $(TARGET_CFLAGS)`)
-HOST_MESON_SED_LDFLAGS = $(if $(TARGET_LDFLAGS),`printf '"%s"$(comma) ' $(TARGET_LDFLAGS)`)
-HOST_MESON_SED_CXXFLAGS = $(if $(TARGET_CXXFLAGS),`printf '"%s"$(comma) ' $(TARGET_CXXFLAGS)`)
+HOST_MESON_SED_CFLAGS = $(if $(strip $(TARGET_CFLAGS)),`printf '"%s"$(comma) ' $(TARGET_CFLAGS)`)
+HOST_MESON_SED_LDFLAGS = $(if $(strip $(TARGET_LDFLAGS)),`printf '"%s"$(comma) ' $(TARGET_LDFLAGS)`)
+HOST_MESON_SED_CXXFLAGS = $(if $(strip $(TARGET_CXXFLAGS)),`printf '"%s"$(comma) ' $(TARGET_CXXFLAGS)`)
 
 # Generate a Meson cross-compilation.conf suitable for use with the
 # SDK