diff --git a/etc/config.csh/settings b/etc/config.csh/settings
index 24ef70ab9dd7ba8e7371e2e9140fe5c67299ed93..892f28fa370bae870393c6ca00fad826642c9b22 100644
--- a/etc/config.csh/settings
+++ b/etc/config.csh/settings
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ unsetenv GMP_ARCH_PATH MPFR_ARCH_PATH
 # Location of compiler installation
 # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 if ( ! $?WM_COMPILER_TYPE ) then
-    set WM_COMPILER_TYPE=system
+    setenv WM_COMPILER_TYPE system
     echo "Warning in $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/config.csh/settings:"
     echo "    WM_COMPILER_TYPE not set, using '$WM_COMPILER_TYPE'"
 endif