diff --git a/pkgs/applications/misc/xneur/0.8.nix b/pkgs/applications/misc/xneur/0.8.nix
index af942529d32..f94aa0c2fbc 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/misc/xneur/0.8.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/misc/xneur/0.8.nix
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
   preConfigure = ''
     sed -e 's/-Werror//' -i configure
-    sed -e 's/for aspell_dir in/for aspell_dir in ${aspell} /' -i configure
-    sed -e 's/for imlib2_dir in/for imlib2_dir in ${imlib2} /' -i configure
-    sed -e 's/for xosd_dir in/for xosd_dir in ${xosd} /' -i configure
+    sed -e 's@for aspell_dir in@for aspell_dir in ${aspell} @' -i configure
+    sed -e 's@for imlib2_dir in@for imlib2_dir in ${imlib2} @' -i configure
+    sed -e 's@for xosd_dir in@for xosd_dir in ${xosd} @' -i configure
   '';
 
   meta = {