diff --git a/scripts/package/install-extmod-build b/scripts/package/install-extmod-build
index bb6e23c1174ec049ff22451da88d4fe0a4e5d3bb..b724626ea0ca0d3e95526e05754a8a8207906c19 100755
--- a/scripts/package/install-extmod-build
+++ b/scripts/package/install-extmod-build
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ if [ "${CC}" != "${HOSTCC}" ]; then
 	# Clear VPATH and srcroot because the source files reside in the output
 	# directory.
 	# shellcheck disable=SC2016 # $(MAKE), $(CC), and $(build) will be expanded by Make
-	"${MAKE}" run-command KBUILD_RUN_COMMAND='+$(MAKE) HOSTCC=$(CC) VPATH= srcroot=. $(build)='"${destdir}"/scripts
+	"${MAKE}" run-command KBUILD_RUN_COMMAND='+$(MAKE) HOSTCC="$(CC)" VPATH= srcroot=. $(build)='"${destdir}"/scripts
 
 	rm -f "${destdir}/scripts/Kbuild"
 fi