diff --git a/pkgs/applications/science/robotics/yarp/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/science/robotics/yarp/default.nix
index 3b33096dc683..4f2e45384b76 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/science/robotics/yarp/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/science/robotics/yarp/default.nix
@@ -18,11 +18,9 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     "-DYARP_COMPILE_UNMAINTAINED:BOOL=ON"
     "-DCREATE_YARPC:BOOL=ON"
     "-DCREATE_YARPCXX:BOOL=ON"
+    "-DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=${placeholder "out"}/lib"
   ];
 
-  # since we cant expand $out in cmakeFlags
-  preConfigure = ''cmakeFlags="$cmakeFlags -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=$out/lib"'';
-
   postInstall = "mv ./$out/lib/*.so $out/lib/";
 
   meta = {