diff --git a/eclass/xorg-3.eclass b/eclass/xorg-3.eclass
index 65be0f59d2408..0315c5b4f454c 100644
--- a/eclass/xorg-3.eclass
+++ b/eclass/xorg-3.eclass
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ fi
 # before inheriting this eclass.
 : ${XORG_MULTILIB:="no"}
 
+# Due to changes to autotools.eclass, we need to define some variables before inheriting
+WANT_AUTOCONF="latest"
+WANT_AUTOMAKE="latest"
+
 # we need to inherit autotools first to get the deps
 inherit autotools libtool multilib toolchain-funcs flag-o-matic \
 	${FONT_ECLASS} ${GIT_ECLASS}
@@ -136,8 +140,6 @@ if [[ ${PN} != util-macros ]] ; then
 	# Required even by xorg-server
 	[[ ${PN} == "font-util" ]] || EAUTORECONF_DEPEND+=" >=media-fonts/font-util-1.2.0"
 fi
-WANT_AUTOCONF="latest"
-WANT_AUTOMAKE="latest"
 for arch in ${XORG_EAUTORECONF_ARCHES}; do
 	EAUTORECONF_DEPENDS+=" ${arch}? ( ${EAUTORECONF_DEPEND} )"
 done
@@ -325,7 +327,7 @@ xorg-3_flags_setup() {
 
 	# Win32 require special define
 	[[ ${CHOST} == *-winnt* ]] && append-cppflags -DWIN32 -D__STDC__
-	# hardened ldflags
+	# hardened ldflags (also see #778494)
 	[[ ${PN} == xorg-server || ${PN} == xf86-video-* || ${PN} == xf86-input-* ]] \
 		&& filter-flags -fno-plt && append-ldflags -Wl,-z,lazy