diff --git a/srcpkgs/slrn/template b/srcpkgs/slrn/template
index 3a84fee8c9..c8899264fb 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/slrn/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/slrn/template
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ configure_args="--with-slrnpull --with-ssl
  --with-slanginc=${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/usr/include
  --with-slanglib=${XBPS_CROSS_BASE}/usr/lib
  slrn_cv_va_copy=yes slrn_cv___va_copy=yes slrn_cv_va_val_copy=yes"
-hostmakedepends="slang-devel"
-makedepends="openssl-devel slang-devel"
+hostmakedepends="openssl-devel slang-devel"
+makedepends="${hostmakedepends}"
 short_desc="Text mode Usenet news reader"
 maintainer="Leah Neukirchen <leah@vuxu.org>"
 license="GPL-2.0-or-later"