diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8cb7cd4ea7..cb89323ec0 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ case $host_cpu in
        build_cpu_neon="yes"
        AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to use NEON instructions])
        CFLAGS_save="${CFLAGS}"
-       CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -mfpu=neon -ftree-vectorize"
+       CFLAGS="-mfpu=neon -ftree-vectorize ${CFLAGS}"
        AC_COMPILE_IFELSE([AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <arm_neon.h>]], [[asm volatile ("vqadd.u8 d0, d1, d0\n")]])],[
            AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
            AC_DEFINE([BUILD_NEON], [1], [Build NEON Code])