diff --git a/gnu/packages/readline.scm b/gnu/packages/readline.scm
index b4c91675a4..6cfa24c666 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/readline.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/readline.scm
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
   #:use-module (guix download)
   #:use-module (guix build-system gnu)
   #:use-module (guix utils)
+  #:use-module (guix gexp)
   #:use-module (ice-9 format))
 
 (define (patch-url version seqno)
@@ -76,19 +77,19 @@
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
     (propagated-inputs `(("ncurses" ,ncurses)))
     (arguments `(#:configure-flags
-                 (list (string-append "LDFLAGS=-Wl,-rpath -Wl,"
-                                      (assoc-ref %build-inputs "ncurses")
-                                      "/lib")
+                 ,#~(list (string-append "LDFLAGS=-Wl,-rpath -Wl,"
+                                         (assoc-ref %build-inputs "ncurses")
+                                         "/lib")
 
-                       ;; This test does an 'AC_TRY_RUN', which aborts when
-                       ;; cross-compiling, so provide the correct answer.
-                       ,@(if (%current-target-system)
-                             '("bash_cv_wcwidth_broken=no")
-                             '())
-                       ;; MinGW: ncurses provides the termcap api.
-                       ,@(if (target-mingw?)
-                             '("bash_cv_termcap_lib=ncurses")
-                             '()))
+                          ;; This test does an 'AC_TRY_RUN', which aborts when
+                          ;; cross-compiling, so provide the correct answer.
+                          #$@(if (%current-target-system)
+                                 '("bash_cv_wcwidth_broken=no")
+                                 '())
+                          ;; MinGW: ncurses provides the termcap api.
+                          #$@(if (target-mingw?)
+                                 '("bash_cv_termcap_lib=ncurses")
+                                 '()))
 
                  ,@(if (target-mingw?)
                        ;; MinGW: termcap in ncurses