diff --git a/srcpkgs/libreoffice/template b/srcpkgs/libreoffice/template
index f337dab38e7..db241cfdbf3 100644
--- a/srcpkgs/libreoffice/template
+++ b/srcpkgs/libreoffice/template
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ _split() {
 	fi
 }
 
-declare _languages
+_languages=""
 _add_lang() {
 	local pkglang="${3:-$1}"
 	_languages="$_languages ${pkglang//_/-}"