diff --git a/gnu/packages/readline.scm b/gnu/packages/readline.scm
index 6cfa24c666..f9f2797247 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/readline.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/readline.scm
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 ;;; Copyright © 2016 Jan Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
 ;;; Copyright © 2018 Tobias Geerinckx-Rice <me@tobias.gr>
 ;;; Copyright © 2019, 2020 Marius Bakke <marius@gnu.org>
+;;; Copyright © 2021 Maxime Devos <maximedevos@telenet.be>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -77,9 +78,10 @@
     (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,"
+                           #$(this-package-input "ncurses")
+                           "/lib")
 
                           ;; This test does an 'AC_TRY_RUN', which aborts when
                           ;; cross-compiling, so provide the correct answer.