diff --git a/linux/Makefile b/linux/Makefile
index 9d8a0f6e..57bef031 100644
--- a/linux/Makefile
+++ b/linux/Makefile
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ $(LIBDIR)/libSDL2_image.a: $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/Makefile
 
 $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/Makefile: $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/configure
 	cd $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image; \
-	LIBPNG_LIBS="-L$(LIBDIR)/libpng.a -lpng" LIBPNG_CFLAGS="-I$(INCLUDEDIR) \
+	LIBPNG_LIBS="-L$(LIBDIR) -lpng" LIBPNG_CFLAGS="-I$(INCLUDEDIR)" \
 	$(CONFIGURE) --enable-static=true --enable-shared=false \
 	--disable-imageio \
 	--enable-png=yes --enable-png-shared=no \
diff --git a/macos/Dependencies/dependencies.make b/macos/Dependencies/dependencies.make
index aecbd815..27c3f0f3 100644
--- a/macos/Dependencies/dependencies.make
+++ b/macos/Dependencies/dependencies.make
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ $(LIBDIR)/libSDL2_image.a: $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/Makefile
 
 $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/Makefile: $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/configure
 	cd $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image; \
-	LIBPNG_LIBS=$(LIBDIR)/libpng.a \
+	LIBPNG_LIBS="-L$(LIBDIR)/libpng.a -lpng" LIBPNG_CFLAGS="-I$(INCLUDEDIR)" \
 	$(CONFIGURE) --enable-static=true --enable-shared=false \
 	--disable-imageio \
 	--enable-png=yes --enable-png-shared=no \
diff --git a/windows/Makefile b/windows/Makefile
index b72d4ebf..06df4005 100755
--- a/windows/Makefile
+++ b/windows/Makefile
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ $(LIBDIR)/libSDL2_image.a: $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/Makefile
 
 $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/Makefile: $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image/configure
 	cd $(DOWNLOADS)/sdl2_image; \
-	LIBPNG_LIBS=$(LIBDIR)/libpng.a \
+	LIBPNG_LIBS="-L$(LIBDIR) -lpng" LIBPNG_CFLAGS="-I$(INCLUDEDIR)" \
 	$(CONFIGURE) --enable-static=true --enable-shared=false \
 	--disable-imageio \
 	--enable-png=yes --enable-png-shared=no \