diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
index 0c33171417e..8f3384b3303 100644
--- a/Makefile.pre.in
+++ b/Makefile.pre.in
@@ -419,10 +419,10 @@ $(LIBRARY): $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
 
 libpython$(VERSION).so: $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
 	if test $(INSTSONAME) != $(LDLIBRARY); then \
-		$(LDSHARED) $(LDFLAGS) -Wl,-h$(INSTSONAME) -o $(INSTSONAME) $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM) $(LDLAST); \
+		$(LDSHARED) $(LDFLAGS) -Wl,-h$(INSTSONAME) -o $(INSTSONAME) $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(MODLIBS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM) $(LDLAST); \
 		$(LN) -f $(INSTSONAME) $@; \
 	else \
-		$(LDSHARED) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM) $(LDLAST); \
+		$(LDSHARED) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(MODLIBS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM) $(LDLAST); \
 	fi
 
 libpython$(VERSION).dylib: $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ libpython$(VERSION).dylib: $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
 		 
 
 libpython$(VERSION).sl: $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
-	$(LDSHARED) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM) $(LDLAST)
+	$(LDSHARED) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(MODLIBS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM) $(LDLAST)
 
 # This rule is here for OPENSTEP/Rhapsody/MacOSX. It builds a temporary
 # minimal framework (not including the Lib directory and such) in the current
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index ea659a57b1b..09af442be77 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -479,6 +479,8 @@ Tools/Demos
 Build
 -----
 
+- Link the shared python library with $(MODLIBS).
+
 - Issue #5134: Silence compiler warnings when compiling sqlite with VC++.
 
 - Issue #4494: Fix build with Py_NO_ENABLE_SHARED on Windows.