diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 551fb1e..e21c1e6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,10 +11,11 @@ MANDIR?=$(PREFIX)/share/man
 GO?=go
 GOFLAGS?=
 BUILD_OPTS?=-trimpath
+flags!=echo -- $(GOFLAGS) | base64 | tr -d '\n'
 # ignore environment variable
 GO_LDFLAGS:=
 GO_LDFLAGS+=-X main.Version=$(VERSION)
-GO_LDFLAGS+=-X main.Flags=$(GOFLAGS)
+GO_LDFLAGS+=-X main.Flags=$(flags)
 GO_LDFLAGS+=-X git.sr.ht/~rjarry/aerc/config.shareDir=$(SHAREDIR)
 GO_LDFLAGS+=$(GO_EXTRA_LDFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/aerc.go b/aerc.go
index 865f066..4c9debf 100644
--- a/aerc.go
+++ b/aerc.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -95,7 +96,8 @@ var Flags string
 
 func buildInfo() string {
 	info := Version
-	if strings.Contains(Flags, "notmuch") {
+	flags, _ := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(Flags)
+	if strings.Contains(string(flags), "notmuch") {
 		info += " +notmuch"
 	}
 	info += fmt.Sprintf(" (%s %s %s)",