diff --git a/api/Makefile.in b/api/Makefile.in
index f0a1b85486..4a68ea9679 100644
--- a/api/Makefile.in
+++ b/api/Makefile.in
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ RANLIB = @RANLIB@
 SET_MAKE = @SET_MAKE@
 SHELL = @SHELL@
 SOURCE_TOP_DIR = @SOURCE_TOP_DIR@
+STATIC_FLAGS = @STATIC_FLAGS@
 STRIP = @STRIP@
 VERSION = @VERSION@
 ac_ct_CC = @ac_ct_CC@
diff --git a/client/Makefile.in b/client/Makefile.in
index b0f8d8fbd7..a0adb8f0c9 100644
--- a/client/Makefile.in
+++ b/client/Makefile.in
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ RANLIB = @RANLIB@
 SET_MAKE = @SET_MAKE@
 SHELL = @SHELL@
 SOURCE_TOP_DIR = @SOURCE_TOP_DIR@
+
+# by default, "-static -static-libgcc" on linux.
+STATIC_FLAGS = @STATIC_FLAGS@
 STRIP = @STRIP@
 VERSION = @VERSION@
 ac_ct_CC = @ac_ct_CC@
@@ -212,7 +215,7 @@ boinc_client_SOURCES = \
 boinc_client_DEPENDENCIES = $(LIBRSA)
 boinc_client_CPPFLAGS = -I $(srcdir)/win $(AM_CPPFLAGS)
 boinc_client_LDADD = $(RSA_LIBS)
-boinc_client_LDFLAGS = -static -static-libgcc
+boinc_client_LDFLAGS = $(STATIC_FLAGS)
 
 speed_stats_SOURCES = speed_stats.C
 speed_stats_CFLAGS = -O6 $(AM_CFLAGS)