diff --git a/app/iscsi_top/Makefile b/app/iscsi_top/Makefile
index 0d66fcfb2..86fd73edf 100644
--- a/app/iscsi_top/Makefile
+++ b/app/iscsi_top/Makefile
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.common.mk
 include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.modules.mk
 
 APP = iscsi_top
+SPDK_NO_LINK_ENV = 1
 
-CXXFLAGS += $(ENV_CXXFLAGS)
 CXXFLAGS += -I$(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/lib
 
 CXX_SRCS := iscsi_top.cpp
diff --git a/app/trace/Makefile b/app/trace/Makefile
index 92df0857f..92fb60cf6 100644
--- a/app/trace/Makefile
+++ b/app/trace/Makefile
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.common.mk
 include $(SPDK_ROOT_DIR)/mk/spdk.modules.mk
 
 APP = spdk_trace
+SPDK_NO_LINK_ENV = 1
 
 CXX_SRCS := trace.cpp
 
diff --git a/mk/spdk.common.mk b/mk/spdk.common.mk
index bd341569c..500d2c69a 100644
--- a/mk/spdk.common.mk
+++ b/mk/spdk.common.mk
@@ -254,14 +254,16 @@ COMPILE_CXX=\
 	$(CXX) -o $@ $(DEPFLAGS) $(CXXFLAGS) -c $< && \
 	mv -f $*.d.tmp $*.d && touch -c $@
 
+ENV_LDFLAGS = $(if $(SPDK_NO_LINK_ENV),,$(ENV_LINKER_ARGS))
+
 # Link $(OBJS) and $(LIBS) into $@ (app)
 LINK_C=\
 	$(Q)echo "  LINK $(notdir $@)"; \
-	$(CC) -o $@ $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) $(ENV_LINKER_ARGS) $(SYS_LIBS)
+	$(CC) -o $@ $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) $(ENV_LDFLAGS) $(SYS_LIBS)
 
 LINK_CXX=\
 	$(Q)echo "  LINK $(notdir $@)"; \
-	$(CXX) -o $@ $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) $(ENV_LINKER_ARGS) $(SYS_LIBS)
+	$(CXX) -o $@ $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) $(ENV_LDFLAGS) $(SYS_LIBS)
 
 # Provide function to ease build of a shared lib
 define spdk_build_realname_shared_lib