diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3df847dd5b..c6a3a7a51d 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -158,9 +158,11 @@ def get_extensions():
         op_files.remove('./mmcv/ops/csrc/pytorch/cuda/bias_act_cuda.cu')
         cuda_args = os.getenv('MMCV_CUDA_ARGS')
         extra_compile_args = {
-            'nvcc': [cuda_args, '-std=c++14'] if cuda_args else ['-std=c++14'],
+            'nvcc': ['-std=c++14'],
             'cxx': ['-std=c++14'],
         }
+        if cuda_args:
+            extra_compile_args['nvcc'].extend(cuda_args.split())
         if torch.cuda.is_available() or os.getenv('FORCE_CUDA', '0') == '1':
             define_macros += [('MMCV_WITH_CUDA', None)]
             extra_compile_args['nvcc'] += [
@@ -260,7 +262,10 @@ def get_extensions():
                 define_macros += [('MMCV_WITH_HIP', None)]
             define_macros += [('MMCV_WITH_CUDA', None)]
             cuda_args = os.getenv('MMCV_CUDA_ARGS')
-            extra_compile_args['nvcc'] = [cuda_args] if cuda_args else []
+            if cuda_args:
+                extra_compile_args['nvcc'] = cuda_args.split()
+            else:
+                extra_compile_args['nvcc'] = []
             op_files = glob.glob('./mmcv/ops/csrc/pytorch/*.cpp') + \
                 glob.glob('./mmcv/ops/csrc/pytorch/cpu/*.cpp') + \
                 glob.glob('./mmcv/ops/csrc/pytorch/cuda/*.cu') + \