diff --git a/update_unicode.sh b/update_unicode.sh
index c1c876c940..bed8916910 100755
--- a/update_unicode.sh
+++ b/update_unicode.sh
@@ -27,12 +27,13 @@ fi &&
 		fi &&
 		make
 	) && {
+		UNICODE_DIR=. && export UNICODE_DIR &&
 		echo "static const struct interval zero_width[] = {" &&
-		UNICODE_DIR=. ./uniset/uniset --32 cat:Me,Mn,Cf + U+1160..U+11FF - U+00AD |
+		./uniset/uniset --32 cat:Me,Mn,Cf + U+1160..U+11FF - U+00AD |
 		grep -v plane &&
 		echo "};" &&
 		echo "static const struct interval double_width[] = {" &&
-		UNICODE_DIR=. ./uniset/uniset --32 eaw:F,W &&
+		./uniset/uniset --32 eaw:F,W &&
 		echo "};"
 	} >$UNICODEWIDTH_H
 )