diff --git a/samples/clib/SConscript b/samples/clib/SConscript
index 9aae544b9..345ee35d8 100644
--- a/samples/clib/SConscript
+++ b/samples/clib/SConscript
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ for programName, sources in samples:
         linkflags.append(f"-Wl,-rpath,{localenv['ct_shlibdir']}")
         libdirs.extend(localenv["extra_lib_dirs"])
 
+    if env["OS"] == "Darwin" and env["use_rpath_linkage"] and not env.subst("$__RPATH"):
+        # SCons fails to specify RPATH on macOS, so circumvent that behavior by
+        # specifying this directly as part of LINKFLAGS
+        linkflags.extend(env.subst(f'$RPATHPREFIX{d}$RPATHSUFFIX') for d in libdirs)
+
     localenv["tmpl_compiler_flags"] = repr(localenv["CCFLAGS"])
     localenv['tmpl_cantera_incdirs'] = repr([x for x in incdirs if x])
     localenv['tmpl_cantera_libs'] = repr(localenv['cantera_shared_libs'])
diff --git a/samples/cxx/SConscript b/samples/cxx/SConscript
index d0b0de2b4..578f5493e 100644
--- a/samples/cxx/SConscript
+++ b/samples/cxx/SConscript
@@ -71,6 +71,12 @@ set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} ${OpenMP_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS}
         libdirs.extend(localenv["extra_lib_dirs"])
         libdirs = list(set(libdirs))
 
+    if env["OS"] == "Darwin" and env["use_rpath_linkage"] and not env.subst("$__RPATH"):
+        # SCons fails to specify RPATH on macOS, so circumvent that behavior by
+        # specifying this directly as part of LINKFLAGS
+        localenv.Append(LINKFLAGS=[env.subst(f'$RPATHPREFIX{d}$RPATHSUFFIX')
+                                   for d in libdirs])
+
     cc_flags = compiler_flag_list(localenv["CCFLAGS"] + localenv["CXXFLAGS"],
                                   flag_excludes)
     localenv["tmpl_compiler_flags"] = repr(cc_flags)