diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index efa08cdfb0a..2822623a221 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -809,7 +809,7 @@ ifeq ($(HAS_SYSTEM_PROTOBUF),true)
 ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
 PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = true
 PC_REQUIRES_GRPCXX = protobuf
-CPPFLAGS := $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags protobuf) $(CPPFLAGS)
+CPPFLAGS := $(CPPFLAGS) $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags protobuf)
 LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L protobuf)
 ifeq ($(SYSTEM),Linux)
 ifneq ($(LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG),)
diff --git a/templates/Makefile.template b/templates/Makefile.template
index 8bb06176bf8..31cf14a71c1 100644
--- a/templates/Makefile.template
+++ b/templates/Makefile.template
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@
   ifeq ($(HAS_PKG_CONFIG),true)
   PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = true
   PC_REQUIRES_GRPCXX = protobuf
-  CPPFLAGS := $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags protobuf) $(CPPFLAGS)
+  CPPFLAGS := $(CPPFLAGS) $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --cflags protobuf)
   LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG = $(shell $(PKG_CONFIG) --libs-only-L protobuf)
   ifeq ($(SYSTEM),Linux)
   ifneq ($(LDFLAGS_PROTOBUF_PKG_CONFIG),)