diff --git a/buildscripts/build_hdf5.sh b/buildscripts/build_hdf5.sh
index b574a010b..2c2859168 100755
--- a/buildscripts/build_hdf5.sh
+++ b/buildscripts/build_hdf5.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export HDF5_PLUGIN_PATH="${HDF5_LIBDIR}/plugin"
 export NCDIR="${PREFIX}"
 export NFDIR="${PREFIX}"
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${PREFIX}/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
-export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem {$PREFIX}/include"
+export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem ${PREFIX}/include"
 export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L${PREFIX}/lib"
 export CPATH="${PREFIX}/include:${CPATH}"
 export CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -Wno-unused-but-set-variable"
diff --git a/buildscripts/build_netcdf-c.sh b/buildscripts/build_netcdf-c.sh
index 412d0b3d2..c707fd6c8 100755
--- a/buildscripts/build_netcdf-c.sh
+++ b/buildscripts/build_netcdf-c.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export HDF5_PLUGIN_PATH="${HDF5_LIBDIR}/plugin"
 export NCDIR="${PREFIX}"
 export NFDIR="${PREFIX}"
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${PREFIX}/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
-export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem {$PREFIX}/include"
+export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem ${PREFIX}/include"
 export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L${PREFIX}/lib"
 export CPATH="${PREFIX}/include:${CPATH}"
 export CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -Wno-unused-but-set-variable"
diff --git a/buildscripts/build_netcdf-fortran.sh b/buildscripts/build_netcdf-fortran.sh
index 0e21d964d..4840d8294 100755
--- a/buildscripts/build_netcdf-fortran.sh
+++ b/buildscripts/build_netcdf-fortran.sh
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ export HDF5_PLUGIN_PATH="${HDF5_LIBDIR}/plugin"
 export NCDIR="${PREFIX}"
 export NFDIR="${PREFIX}"
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${PREFIX}/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
-export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem {$PREFIX}/include"
+export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem ${PREFIX}/include"
 export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L${PREFIX}/lib"
 export CPATH="${PREFIX}/include:${CPATH}"
 export CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -Wno-unused-but-set-variable"
diff --git a/buildscripts/build_swiftest.sh b/buildscripts/build_swiftest.sh
index f450dce09..df7befd2e 100755
--- a/buildscripts/build_swiftest.sh
+++ b/buildscripts/build_swiftest.sh
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ printf "Dependency libraries in ${PREFIX}\n"
 export DEPDIR=$PREFIX
 export NETCDF_FORTRAN_HOME=$DEPDIR
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${DEPDIR}/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
-export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -I{$DEPDIR}/include"
+export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem ${DEPDIR}/include"
 export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L${DEPDIR}/lib"
 export CPATH="${DEPDIR}/include:${CPATH}"
 
diff --git a/buildscripts/build_zlib.sh b/buildscripts/build_zlib.sh
index 28a0784fa..cac640084 100755
--- a/buildscripts/build_zlib.sh
+++ b/buildscripts/build_zlib.sh
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export F77=${F77}
 export CPP=${CPP}
 
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${PREFIX}/lib:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
-export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem {$PREFIX}/include"
+export CPPFLAGS="${CPPFLAGS} -isystem ${PREFIX}/include"
 export LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS} -L${PREFIX}/lib"
 export CPATH="${PREFIX}/include:${CPATH}"
 export CFLAGS="${CFLAGS} -Wno-unused-but-set-variable"