diff --git a/recipes/rustpython/recipe.toml b/recipes/rustpython/recipe.toml
index 54f2f753ce503571736819d0c4a4be4f3700c8c4..0d082a78f6402dccf32939d55acb7a6bae1bf29a 100644
--- a/recipes/rustpython/recipe.toml
+++ b/recipes/rustpython/recipe.toml
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ script = """
 export BUILDTIME_RUSTPYTHONPATH=/lib/rustpython
 export OPENSSL_DIR="${COOKBOOK_SYSROOT}"
 export ZLIB_STATIC=1
-COOKBOOK_CARGO_FLAGS+=(--features ssl)
-cookbook_cargo
+cookbook_cargo --features ssl
 mkdir -p "${COOKBOOK_STAGE}/lib"
 rsync -aE \
   --exclude 'test/' \