diff --git a/sys-apps/opal-utils/files/flags.patch b/sys-apps/opal-utils/files/flags.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5aa045ed1ca1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys-apps/opal-utils/files/flags.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+From 828c1c28c314c62cf90b9b989f92af7ea96c100d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Georgy Yakovlev <gyakovlev@gentoo.org>
+Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2020 18:48:38 -0700
+Subject: [PATCH] respect user flags
+
+---
+ external/ffspart/rules.mk  | 2 +-
+ external/opal-prd/Makefile | 2 +-
+ 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/external/ffspart/rules.mk b/external/ffspart/rules.mk
+index 40972c6..09a025f 100644
+--- a/external/ffspart/rules.mk
++++ b/external/ffspart/rules.mk
+@@ -30,5 +30,5 @@ $(LIBFLASH_OBJS): libflash-%.o : libflash/%.c
+ 	$(Q_CC)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+ 
+ $(EXE): $(OBJS)
+-	$(Q_CC)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $^ -lrt -o $@
++	$(Q_CC)$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $^ -lrt $(LDFLAGS) -o $@
+ 
+diff --git a/external/opal-prd/Makefile b/external/opal-prd/Makefile
+index fb9402f..52f10d9 100644
+--- a/external/opal-prd/Makefile
++++ b/external/opal-prd/Makefile
+@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
+ # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+-CFLAGS += -m64 -Werror -Wall -g2 -ggdb
++CFLAGS += -m64 -Wall
+ LDFLAGS += -m64
+ ASFLAGS = -m64
+ CPPFLAGS += -I. -I../../include -I../../
+-- 
+2.28.0
+
diff --git a/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.5.2.ebuild b/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.5.2.ebuild
index 9e12d9fc8b8ad..9479de387f7ec 100644
--- a/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.5.2.ebuild
+++ b/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.5.2.ebuild
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ ERROR_SCOM_DEBUGFS="CONFIG_SCOM_DEBUGFS is required to use xscom-utils"
 
 S="${WORKDIR}/skiboot-${PV}"
 
+PATCHES=( "${FILESDIR}/flags.patch" )
+
 python_check_deps() {
 	has_version "dev-python/recommonmark[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]" &&
 	has_version "dev-python/sphinx[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]"
@@ -42,11 +44,6 @@ pkg_setup() {
 	use doc && python-any-r1_pkg_setup
 }
 
-src_prepare() {
-	default
-	sed -i '/^CFLAGS +=/ s/-g2 -ggdb//' external/opal-prd/Makefile || die
-}
-
 src_configure() {
 	tc-export CC LD
 	export OPAL_PRD_VERSION="${PV}"
diff --git a/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.6.2.ebuild b/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.6.2.ebuild
index 867857095da6a..22d57ef7a346f 100644
--- a/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.6.2.ebuild
+++ b/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.6.2.ebuild
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ ERROR_SCOM_DEBUGFS="CONFIG_SCOM_DEBUGFS is required to use xscom-utils"
 
 S="${WORKDIR}/skiboot-${PV}"
 
+PATCHES=( "${FILESDIR}/flags.patch" )
+
 python_check_deps() {
 	has_version "dev-python/recommonmark[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]" &&
 	has_version "dev-python/sphinx[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]"
@@ -42,12 +44,6 @@ pkg_setup() {
 	use doc && python-any-r1_pkg_setup
 }
 
-src_prepare() {
-	default
-	sed -i '/^CFLAGS +=/ s/-g2 -ggdb//' external/opal-prd/Makefile || die
-	sed -i 's/-lrt -o/-lrt $(LDFLAGS) -o/' external/ffspart/rules.mk || die
-}
-
 src_configure() {
 	tc-export CC LD
 	export OPAL_PRD_VERSION="${PV}"
diff --git a/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.6.3.ebuild b/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.6.3.ebuild
index 6f824f28e385f..823783f6fa37d 100644
--- a/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.6.3.ebuild
+++ b/sys-apps/opal-utils/opal-utils-6.6.3.ebuild
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ ERROR_SCOM_DEBUGFS="CONFIG_SCOM_DEBUGFS is required to use xscom-utils"
 
 S="${WORKDIR}/skiboot-${PV}"
 
+PATCHES=( "${FILESDIR}/flags.patch" )
+
 python_check_deps() {
 	has_version "dev-python/recommonmark[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]" &&
 	has_version "dev-python/sphinx[${PYTHON_USEDEP}]"
@@ -42,12 +44,6 @@ pkg_setup() {
 	use doc && python-any-r1_pkg_setup
 }
 
-src_prepare() {
-	default
-	sed -i '/^CFLAGS +=/ s/-g2 -ggdb//' external/opal-prd/Makefile || die
-	sed -i 's/-lrt -o/-lrt $(LDFLAGS) -o/' external/ffspart/rules.mk || die
-}
-
 src_configure() {
 	tc-export CC LD
 	export OPAL_PRD_VERSION="${PV}"