diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index eb16deda69..8fe17465e8 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -435,3 +435,19 @@ David  15 Jan 2009
 
     sched/
         sched_plan.cpp
+
+Eric   15 Jan 2009
+    - build:  Made static linkage of BOINC libraries the default for client,
+      manager, and server components
+
+    configure.ac
+    tools/
+        Makefile.am
+    clientgui/
+        Makefile.am
+    client/
+        Makefile.am
+    samples/
+        example_app/
+	    Makefile
+
diff --git a/client/Makefile.am b/client/Makefile.am
index 6ad5c89d8d..27981ce941 100644
--- a/client/Makefile.am
+++ b/client/Makefile.am
@@ -5,7 +5,16 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/Makefile.incl
 
 if ENABLE_CLIENT_RELEASE
   AM_LDFLAGS += -static-libtool-libs
+## for an entirely statically linked library, you may want to try
+## -all-static instead.  There's a good chance it won't work properly,
+## so we'll use the safer "-static-libtool-libs" by default.
+else
+if DYNAMIC_CLIENT
+## if libtool starts to need flags for dynamic linking, add them here
+else
+  AM_LDFLAGS += -static
 endif
+endif ## ENABLE_CLIENT_RELEASE
 
 LIBS += $(CLIENTLIBS)
 
diff --git a/clientgui/Makefile.am b/clientgui/Makefile.am
index 90b0d54101..488e5b543b 100644
--- a/clientgui/Makefile.am
+++ b/clientgui/Makefile.am
@@ -5,7 +5,16 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/Makefile.incl
 
 if ENABLE_CLIENT_RELEASE
   AM_LDFLAGS += -static-libtool-libs
+## for an entirely statically linked library, you may want to try
+## -all-static instead.  There's a good chance it won't work properly,
+## so we'll use the safer "-static-libtool-libs" by default.
+else
+if DYNAMIC_CLIENT
+## if libtool starts to need flags for dynamic linking, add them here
+else
+  AM_LDFLAGS += -static
 endif
+endif ## ENABLE_CLIENT_RELEASE
 
 if OS_DARWIN
    LIBS += -framework IOKit -framework Foundation -framework ScreenSaver -framework Cocoa -framework Security
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8c598289f9..35032815fa 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ AM_PROG_CC_C_O
 m4_divert_once([HELP_ENABLE],
   AS_HELP_STRING([BOINC Default enable values], [--enable-server --enable-client --enable-libraries --enable-manager: builds server, client, and libraries]))
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(dynamic-client-linkage, 
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-dynamic-client-linkage],
+                   [dynamically link the client to the boinc libraries]),
+    [dynamic_client=${enableval}],
+    [dynamic_client=no])
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(server, 
     AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-server],
                    [disable building the scheduling server]),
@@ -655,6 +661,7 @@ dnl Whether to build fcgi components
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_FCGI,[test "${enable_fcgi}" = yes])
 
 dnl tell automake about whether to build client and/or server
+AM_CONDITIONAL(DYNAMIC_CLIENT, [test "${dynamic_client}" = yes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_SERVER, [test "${enable_server}" = yes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_CLIENT, [test "${enable_client}" = yes])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_MANAGER, [ test "x${ac_cv_have_wxwidgets}" = xyes -a "${enable_manager}" = yes ])
diff --git a/samples/example_app/Makefile b/samples/example_app/Makefile
index 8d71c6e1d6..fb3e47bc11 100644
--- a/samples/example_app/Makefile
+++ b/samples/example_app/Makefile
@@ -47,13 +47,13 @@ install: uc2
 
 uc2: uc2.o libstdc++.a $(BOINC_API_DIR)/libboinc_api.a $(BOINC_LIB_DIR)/libboinc.a
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -o uc2 uc2.o libstdc++.a -pthread \
-	$(BOINC_API_DIR)/boinc_api.a \
-	$(BOINC_LIB_DIR)/boinc.a
+	$(BOINC_API_DIR)/libboinc_api.a \
+	$(BOINC_LIB_DIR)/libboinc.a
 
 uc2_graphics: uc2_graphics.o libstdc++.a $(BOINC_LIB_DIR)/libboinc.a $(BOINC_API_DIR)/libboinc_graphics2.a
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -o uc2_graphics uc2_graphics.o libstdc++.a -pthread \
-    $(BOINC_API_DIR)/boinc_graphics2.a \
-	$(BOINC_API_DIR)/boinc_api.a \
-	$(BOINC_LIB_DIR)/boinc.a \
+	$(BOINC_API_DIR)/libboinc_graphics2.a \
+	$(BOINC_API_DIR)/libboinc_api.a \
+	$(BOINC_LIB_DIR)/libboinc.a \
     $(LIBGLUT) $(LIBGLU) $(LIBJPEG) \
     -lGL -lX11 -lXmu -lm
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index cb7577fc5b..8362b65f96 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ bin_PROGRAMS = create_work sign_executable dir_hier_path dir_hier_move
 EXTRA_DIST = make_project xadd update_versions dbcheck_files_exist upgrade makelog.sh cleanlogs.sh vote_monitor calculate_credit_multiplier
 
 AM_CXXFLAGS += $(MYSQL_CFLAGS)
+AM_LDFLAGS += -static
 
 create_work_SOURCES = create_work.cpp
 create_work_LDADD = $(SERVERLIBS)