diff --git a/tests/server/Makefile.am b/tests/server/Makefile.am
index 176bcd558a..164034ed5c 100644
--- a/tests/server/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/server/Makefile.am
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ CFLAGS += @CURL_CFLAG_EXTRAS@
 # Prevent LIBS from being used for all link targets
 LIBS = $(BLANK_AT_MAKETIME)
 
-AM_CPPFLAGS += -DWITHOUT_LIBCURL
-AM_CPPFLAGS += -DCURL_NO_OLDIES
+AM_CPPFLAGS += -DWITHOUT_LIBCURL -DCURL_NO_OLDIES
 if DOING_NATIVE_WINDOWS
 AM_CPPFLAGS += -DCURL_STATICLIB
 endif
diff --git a/tests/unit/Makefile.am b/tests/unit/Makefile.am
index eba0807441..646ada3ccb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/unit/Makefile.am
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ endif
 if CURLDEBUG
 AM_CPPFLAGS += -DCURLDEBUG
 endif
-AM_CPPFLAGS += -DCURL_NO_OLDIES -DCURL_DISABLE_DEPRECATION
-AM_CPPFLAGS += -DBUILDING_LIBCURL
+# unit tests are small pretend-libcurl-programs, pass BUILDING_LIBCURL to reflect that
+AM_CPPFLAGS += -DCURL_NO_OLDIES -DCURL_DISABLE_DEPRECATION -DBUILDING_LIBCURL
 
 if BUILD_UNITTESTS
 $(BUNDLE).c: $(top_srcdir)/scripts/mk-unity.pl Makefile.inc $(FIRST_C) $(TESTS_C)