diff --git a/mkspecs/features/qpa/basicunixfontdatabase.prf b/mkspecs/features/qpa/basicunixfontdatabase.prf
index 261eadb5d02..f2e4016c997 100644
--- a/mkspecs/features/qpa/basicunixfontdatabase.prf
+++ b/mkspecs/features/qpa/basicunixfontdatabase.prf
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 contains(QT_CONFIG, system-freetype) {
-    LIBS += -lfreetype
+    LIBS_PRIVATE += -lfreetype
 }
diff --git a/mkspecs/features/qpa/genericunixfontdatabase.prf b/mkspecs/features/qpa/genericunixfontdatabase.prf
index fc11bea4707..b0d81e5571e 100644
--- a/mkspecs/features/qpa/genericunixfontdatabase.prf
+++ b/mkspecs/features/qpa/genericunixfontdatabase.prf
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 CONFIG += qpa/basicunixfontdatabase
 contains(QT_CONFIG, fontconfig) {
     DEFINES += Q_FONTCONFIGDATABASE
-    LIBS += -lfontconfig
+    LIBS_PRIVATE += -lfontconfig
 } else:!android {
     fonts.path = $$[QT_INSTALL_LIBS]/fonts
     fonts.files = $$QT_SOURCE_TREE/lib/fonts/*