diff --git a/m4/vlc.m4 b/m4/vlc.m4
index 46b10214e7e297a68e2aec6652b01a43a72553db..38fd988057f59782118c4e7364410be3b0922d28 100644
--- a/m4/vlc.m4
+++ b/m4/vlc.m4
@@ -11,58 +11,60 @@ AC_DEFUN([VLC_ADD_BUILTINS], [
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([VLC_ADD_PLUGIN], [
-  PLUGINS="${PLUGINS} $1"
-  AC_SUBST([LTLIB$1], ["lib$1_plugin.la"])
+  m4_foreach_w([element], [$1], [
+    [PLUGINS="${PLUGINS} ]element["]
+    AC_SUBST([LTLIB]element, [lib]element[_plugin.la])
+  ])
 ])
 
 dnl  Special cases: vlc, pics, plugins, save
 AC_DEFUN([VLC_ADD_CPPFLAGS], [
-  for element in [$1]; do
-    eval "CPPFLAGS_${element}="'"$'"{CPPFLAGS_${element}} $2"'"'
-    am_modules_with_cppflags="${am_modules_with_cppflags} ${element}"
-  done
+  m4_foreach_w([element], [$1], [
+    [CPPFLAGS_]element[="${CPPFLAGS_]element[} $2"]
+    [am_modules_with_cppflags="${am_modules_with_cppflags} ]element["]
+  ])
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([VLC_ADD_CFLAGS], [
-  for element in [$1]; do
-    eval "CFLAGS_${element}="'"$'"{CFLAGS_${element}} $2"'"'
-    am_modules_with_cflags="${am_modules_with_cflags} ${element}"
-  done
+  m4_foreach_w([element], [$1], [
+    [CFLAGS_]element[="${CFLAGS_]element[} $2"]
+    [am_modules_with_cflags="${am_modules_with_cflags} ]element["]
+  ])
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([VLC_ADD_CXXFLAGS], [
-  for element in [$1]; do
-    eval "CXXFLAGS_${element}="'"$'"{CXXFLAGS_${element}} $2"'"'
-    am_modules_with_cxxflags="${am_modules_with_cxxflags} ${element}"
-  done
+  m4_foreach_w([element], [$1], [
+    [CXXFLAGS_]element[="${CXXFLAGS_]element[} $2"]
+    [am_modules_with_cxxflags="${am_modules_with_cxxflags} ]element["]
+  ])
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([VLC_ADD_OBJCFLAGS], [
-  for element in [$1]; do
-    eval "OBJCFLAGS_${element}="'"$'"{OBJCFLAGS_${element}} $2"'"'
-    am_modules_with_objcflags="${am_modules_with_objcflags} ${element}"
-  done
+  m4_foreach_w([element], [$1], [
+    [OBJCFLAGS_]element[="${OBJCFLAGS_]element[} $2"]
+    [am_modules_with_objcflags="${am_modules_with_objcflags} ]element["]
+  ])
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([VLC_ADD_LDFLAGS], [
-  for element in [$1]; do
-    eval "LDFLAGS_${element}="'"'"$2 "'$'"{LDFLAGS_${element}} "'"'
-    am_modules_with_ldflags="${am_modules_with_ldflags} ${element}"
-  done
+  m4_foreach_w([element], [$1], [
+    [LDFLAGS_]element[="${LDFLAGS_]element[} $2"]
+    [am_modules_with_ldflags="${am_modules_with_ldflags} ]element["]
+  ])
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([VLC_ADD_LIBS], [
-  for element in [$1]; do
-    eval "LIBS_${element}="'"'"$2 "'$'"{LIBS_${element}} "'"'
-    am_modules_with_libs="${am_modules_with_libs} ${element}"
-  done
+  m4_foreach_w([element], [$1], [
+    [LIBS_]element[="${LIBS_]element[} $2"]
+    [am_modules_with_libs="${am_modules_with_libs} ]element["]
+  ])
 ])
 
 AC_DEFUN([VLC_SET_CFLAGS_WERROR], [
-  for element in [$1]; do
-    eval "CFLAGS_WERROR_${element}="'"'"$2"'"'
-    am_modules_with_werror="${am_modules_with_werror} ${element}"
-  done
+  m4_foreach_w([element], [$1], [
+    [CFLAGS_WERROR_]element[="${CFLAGS_WERROR_]element[} $2"]
+    [am_modules_with_werror="${am_modules_with_werror} ]element["]
+  ])
 ])
 
 dnl ===========================================================================