diff --git a/gnu/packages/speech.scm b/gnu/packages/speech.scm
index cbc46b32b4..10a4f3fa76 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/speech.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/speech.scm
@@ -579,10 +579,12 @@ control.")
        ("libsndfile" ,libsndfile)
        ("pulseaudio" ,pulseaudio)))
     (build-system gnu-build-system)
-    (native-search-paths
-     (list (search-path-specification
-            (variable "EKHO_DATA_PATH")
-            (files '("share/ekho-data")))))
+    (arguments
+     '(#:configure-flags
+       (let* ((datadir (string-append (assoc-ref %outputs "out") "/share"))
+              (ekhodatadir (string-append datadir "/ekho-data")))
+         (list (simple-format #f "CXXFLAGS=-DEKHO_DATA_PATH='\"~a\"'"
+                              ekhodatadir)))))
     (home-page "https://eguidedog.net/ekho.php")
     (synopsis "Chinese text-to-speech software")
     (description