diff --git a/src/syncterm/GNUmakefile b/src/syncterm/GNUmakefile
index 1ea898e30a57bc1a30bafa72ad271a7f0975e2fd..935d55d962d90642893bfb9f881edbc4e80127fa 100644
--- a/src/syncterm/GNUmakefile
+++ b/src/syncterm/GNUmakefile
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ PREFIX	?= /usr/local
 DESKTOPDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/share/applications
 
 CFLAGS	+=	-DPREFIX=\"${PREFIX}\"
-CFLAGS	+=	-DSYSTEM_LIST_DIR=\"${SYSTEM_LIST_DIR}\"
 ifeq ($(PREFIX),/usr)
  MANPREFIX ?= /usr/share
  SYSTEM_LIST_DIR ?= /etc
@@ -86,6 +85,7 @@ else
  MANPREFIX ?= $(PREFIX)
  SYSTEM_LIST_DIR ?= ${PREFIX}/etc
 endif
+CFLAGS	+=	-DSYSTEM_LIST_DIR=\"${SYSTEM_LIST_DIR}\"
 
 CFLAGS	+=	$(UIFC-MT_CFLAGS) $(CIOLIB-MT_CFLAGS) $(XPDEV-MT_CFLAGS) -I../sbbs3 -I../smblib -I../comio
 LDFLAGS	+=	$(UIFC-MT_LDFLAGS) $(CIOLIB-MT_LDFLAGS) $(XPDEV-MT_LDFLAGS)