diff --git a/Makefile.local b/Makefile.local
index 79ac50d4..4a8142f0 100644
--- a/Makefile.local
+++ b/Makefile.local
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ GPG_FILE=$(SHA1_FILE).asc
 FINAL_CFLAGS = -DNOTMUCH_VERSION=$(VERSION) $(CFLAGS) $(WARN_CFLAGS) $(CONFIGURE_CFLAGS) $(extra_cflags)
 FINAL_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS) $(WARN_CXXFLAGS) $(CONFIGURE_CXXFLAGS) $(extra_cflags) $(extra_cxxflags)
 FINAL_NOTMUCH_LDFLAGS = $(LDFLAGS) -Llib -lnotmuch
+ifneq ($(LINKER_RESOLVES_LIBRARY_DEPENDENCIES),1)
+FINAL_NOTMUCH_LDFLAGS += $(CONFIGURE_LDFLAGS)
+endif
 FINAL_LIBNOTMUCH_LDFLAGS = $(LDFLAGS) $(CONFIGURE_LDFLAGS)
 
 .PHONY: all
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8af3dc9e..eebe0751 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -238,9 +238,11 @@ printf "Checking for Mac OS X (for shared library)... "
 if [ `uname` = "Darwin" ] ; then
     printf "Yes.\n"
     mac_os_x=1
+    linker_resolves_library_dependencies = 0
 else
     printf "No.\n"
     mac_os_x=0
+    linker_resolves_library_dependencies = 1
 fi
 
 if [ $errors -gt 0 ]; then
@@ -412,6 +414,11 @@ HAVE_STRCASESTR = ${have_strcasestr}
 # shared library.
 MAC_OS_X = ${mac_os_x}
 
+# Whether the linker will automatically resolve the dependency of one
+# library on another (if not, then linking a binary requires linking
+# directly against both)
+LINKER_RESOLVES_LIBRARY_DEPENDENCIES = ${linker_resolves_library_dependencies}
+
 # Flags needed to compile and link against Xapian
 XAPIAN_CXXFLAGS = ${xapian_cxxflags}
 XAPIAN_LDFLAGS = ${xapian_ldflags}