diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index b0d374b75..a5c4a874d 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -78,8 +78,6 @@ widthspec.h: widthspec.bin grub-bin2h
 	$(builddir)/grub-bin2h widthspec < $< > $@
 CLEANFILES += widthspec.h
 
-# XXX: TARGET_CFLAGS += -DUSE_ASCII_FAILBACK=1 -DHAVE_UNIFONT_WIDTHSPEC=1
-
 # Install config.h into platformdir
 platform_HEADERS = config.h
 
diff --git a/conf/Makefile.common b/conf/Makefile.common
index 3bb8b9c0e..511813404 100644
--- a/conf/Makefile.common
+++ b/conf/Makefile.common
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ if COND_i386_ieee1275
 endif
 if COND_mips_yeeloong
   CFLAGS_PLATFORM = -march=mips3 -mexplicit-relocs -mflush-func=grub_cpu_flush_cache
+  CPPFLAGS_PLATFORM = -DUSE_ASCII_FAILBACK
   CCASFLAGS_PLATFORM = -march=mips3
 endif
 if COND_sparc64_ieee1275
diff --git a/grub-core/Makefile.am b/grub-core/Makefile.am
index 770f1a6bb..cea7014b1 100644
--- a/grub-core/Makefile.am
+++ b/grub-core/Makefile.am
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ CC=$(TARGET_CC)
 CPP=$(TARGET_CC)
 CCAS=$(TARGET_CC)
 
+if COND_GRUB_MKFONT
+if COND_HAVE_FONT_SOURCE
+TARGET_CFLAGS += -DUSE_ASCII_FAILBACK=1 -DHAVE_UNIFONT_WIDTHSPEC=1
+endif
+endif
+
 AM_CFLAGS = $(TARGET_CFLAGS)
 AM_LDFLAGS = $(TARGET_LDFLAGS)
 AM_CPPFLAGS = $(TARGET_CPPFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS_DEFAULT)