diff --git a/gnu/packages/nvi.scm b/gnu/packages/nvi.scm
index f1f461f2b4..baad40d824 100644
--- a/gnu/packages/nvi.scm
+++ b/gnu/packages/nvi.scm
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ;;; GNU Guix --- Functional package management for GNU
 ;;; Copyright © 2014 Marek Benc <merkur32@gmail.com>
 ;;; Copyright © 2020 Marius Bakke <mbakke@fastmail.com>
+;;; Copyright © 2024 Janneke Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>
 ;;;
 ;;; This file is part of GNU Guix.
 ;;;
@@ -71,6 +72,13 @@ (define-public nvi
           ,@(if (%current-target-system)
                 '("vi_cv_sprintf_count=yes")
                 '()))
+        #:make-flags
+        (list
+         ;; nvi's configure chokes on passing CFLAGS and ignores
+         ;; CFLAGS set in the environment
+         (string-append "CFLAGS=-g -O2"
+                        " -Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration"
+                        " -Wno-error=incompatible-pointer-types"))
         #:phases
         (modify-phases %standard-phases
           (add-before 'configure 'fix-configure
@@ -87,8 +95,7 @@ (define-public nvi
                               ,(version-major+minor
                                 (package-version automake))
                               "/" file) "."))
-                          '("config.sub")))
-              #t)))))
+                          '("config.sub"))))))))
     (inputs
       (list bdb ncurses))
     (native-inputs