diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index e9ef5cbf675..6196b182482 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ linuxcnc (1:2.9.8) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * [ci] publish releases with artifacts
   * debian: Addressed lintian warnings
   * axis.py: restore mdi queuing provision       #2460 
+  * debian/rules: Preserve dpkg-buildflags (Closes: #1124874)
 
  -- andypugh <andy@bodgesoc.org>  Wed, 31 Dec 2025 19:39:48 +0000
 
diff --git a/debian/rules.in b/debian/rules.in
index 4e144d5cc7a..8346bb09eb9 100644
--- a/debian/rules.in
+++ b/debian/rules.in
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@
 # Uncomment this to turn on verbose mode.
 export DH_VERBOSE=1
 
-# see EXAMPLES in dpkg-buildflags(1) and read /usr/share/dpkg/*
-DPKG_EXPORT_BUILDFLAGS = 1
-include /usr/share/dpkg/default.mk
-
 # Support more robust code and makes code modifications more difficult
 # Compare https://wiki.debian.org/Hardening
 export DEB_BUILD_MAINT_OPTIONS = hardening=+all
 
+# see EXAMPLES in dpkg-buildflags(1) and read /usr/share/dpkg/*
+DPKG_EXPORT_BUILDFLAGS = 1
+include /usr/share/dpkg/default.mk
+
 # Trigger other tools to use the timestamp from debian/changelog
 # Compare https://reproducible-builds.org/docs/source-date-epoch/
 export SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH ?= $(shell dpkg-parsechangelog -STimestamp)
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ override_dh_auto_configure:
 	    --mandir=/usr/share/man \
 	    $(configure_realtime_arg) \
 	    $(enable_build_documentation) \
+	    $(shell dpkg-buildflags --export=cmdline) \
 	    --disable-check-runtime-deps
 
 override_dh_auto_build-arch: