diff --git a/tests/local.at b/tests/local.at
index 65ae073f..e44871c1 100644
--- a/tests/local.at
+++ b/tests/local.at
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ m4_define([AT_COMPILE],
 m4_define([AT_COMPILE_CXX],
 [AT_KEYWORDS(c++)
 AT_CHECK([$CXX --version || exit 77], 0, ignore, ignore)
-AT_CHECK([$CXX $CFLAGS $CPPFLAGS m4_default([$2], [$1.c]) -o $1],
+AT_CHECK([$CXX $CXXFLAGS $CPPFLAGS m4_default([$2], [$1.c]) -o $1],
          0, [], [ignore])])