diff --git a/mk/rte.app.mk b/mk/rte.app.mk
index 7f364d38c2..b84b56d024 100644
--- a/mk/rte.app.mk
+++ b/mk/rte.app.mk
@@ -187,6 +187,10 @@ LDLIBS += $(_LDLIBS-y) $(CPU_LDLIBS) $(EXTRA_LDLIBS)
 LDLIBS := $(shell echo $(LDLIBS) | \
 	awk '{for (i = 1; i <= NF; i++) { if (!seen[$$i]++) print $$i }}')
 
+ifeq ($(RTE_DEVEL_BUILD)$(CONFIG_RTE_BUILD_SHARED_LIB),yy)
+LDFLAGS += -rpath=$(RTE_SDK_BIN)/lib
+endif
+
 .PHONY: all
 all: install
 
diff --git a/scripts/test-null.sh b/scripts/test-null.sh
index ef6d800d25..32a47b1721 100755
--- a/scripts/test-null.sh
+++ b/scripts/test-null.sh
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ build=${1:-build}
 coremask=${2:-3} # default using cores 0 and 1
 
 if grep -q SHARED_LIB=y $build/.config; then
-	export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$build/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
 	pmd='-d librte_pmd_null.so'
 fi