diff --git a/build/common.mk b/build/common.mk
index b717595bbf..5887c52c83 100644
--- a/build/common.mk
+++ b/build/common.mk
@@ -2025,11 +2025,11 @@ ESMF_PRELOADSCRIPT = $(ESMF_LIBDIR)/preload.sh
 ifeq ($(ESMF_OS),Darwin)
 ESMF_ENV_PRELOAD          = DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
 ESMF_ENV_PRELOAD_DELIMIT  = ':'
-ESMF_SL_PRELOAD_LIBLINKER = $(ESMF_F90LINKER)
+ESMF_SL_PRELOAD_LIBLINKER = $(ESMF_F90COMPILER)
 else
 ESMF_ENV_PRELOAD          = LD_PRELOAD
 ESMF_ENV_PRELOAD_DELIMIT  = ' '
-ESMF_SL_PRELOAD_LIBLINKER = $(ESMF_SL_LIBLINKER)
+ESMF_SL_PRELOAD_LIBLINKER = $(ESMF_CXXCOMPILER)
 endif
 
 # MPI implementations do not pick up LD_PRELOAD