diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index 39b91cea..631495a4 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -46,9 +46,14 @@ export DESTDIR
 # other important variables
 export OBJDIR
 export OUTDIR
+export STATIC
+
+ifneq (,$(STATIC))
+STATICLIB = STATICLIB=1
+endif
 
 libui:
-	@$(MAKE) -f build/GNUmakefile.libui inlibuibuild=1
+	@$(MAKE) -f build/GNUmakefile.libui inlibuibuild=1 $(STATICLIB)
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf $(OBJDIR) $(OUTDIR)
diff --git a/build/GNUbasegcc.mk b/build/GNUbasegcc.mk
index 757d8fd7..b6741d1d 100644
--- a/build/GNUbasegcc.mk
+++ b/build/GNUbasegcc.mk
@@ -50,12 +50,7 @@ else
 	reallinker = $(CXX)
 endif
 
-$(OUT): $(OFILES) | $(OUTDIR)
-	@$(reallinker) -o $(OUT) $(OFILES) $(LDFLAGS)
-ifeq ($(USESSONAME),1)
-	@ln -sf $(NAME)$(SUFFIX) $(OUTNOSONAME)
-endif
-	@echo ====== Linked $(OUT)
+include $(OS)/GNUosspecificlink.mk
 
 .SECONDEXPANSION:
 
diff --git a/build/GNUbasemsvc.mk b/build/GNUbasemsvc.mk
index 7e1bb6bf..46703b87 100644
--- a/build/GNUbasemsvc.mk
+++ b/build/GNUbasemsvc.mk
@@ -69,7 +69,11 @@ OUT = $(OUTDIR)/$(NAME)$(SUFFIX)
 # TODO use $(CC), $(CXX), $(LD), and s$(RC)
 
 $(OUT): $(OFILES) | $(OUTDIR)
+ifeq (,$(STATICLIB))
 	@link -out:$(OUT) $(OFILES) $(LDFLAGS)
+else
+	@lib -out:$(OUT) $(OFILES)
+endif
 	@echo ====== Linked $(OUT)
 
 .SECONDEXPANSION:
diff --git a/build/GNUmakefile.example b/build/GNUmakefile.example
index 1219ac74..2b9d4cbd 100644
--- a/build/GNUmakefile.example
+++ b/build/GNUmakefile.example
@@ -30,7 +30,11 @@ SUFFIX = $(EXESUFFIX)
 
 # TODO merge with the one in build/GNUmakefile.test
 ifeq ($(TOOLCHAIN),gcc)
-	LDFLAGS += -L$(OUTDIR) -lui
+	ifeq (,$(STATIC))
+		LDFLAGS += -L$(OUTDIR) -lui
+	else
+		LDFLAGS += -L$(OUTDIR) -lui $(NATIVE_UI_LDFLAGS)
+	endif
 	# see build/GNUmakefile.test
 	ifeq ($(OS),darwin)
 		LDFLAGS += -Wl,-rpath,@executable_path/
diff --git a/build/GNUmakefile.libui b/build/GNUmakefile.libui
index 41b106ae..96f11c28 100644
--- a/build/GNUmakefile.libui
+++ b/build/GNUmakefile.libui
@@ -17,10 +17,14 @@ HFILES += \
 	ui_$(OS)$(OSHSUFFIX)
 
 NAME = libui
+ifeq (,$(STATIC))
 SUFFIX = $(LIBSUFFIX)
 ifeq ($(USESSONAME),1)
 	SUFFIX = $(SONAMEEXT)
 endif
+else
+SUFFIX = $(STATICLIBSUFFIX)
+endif
 
 ifeq ($(TOOLCHAIN),gcc)
 	# make every symbol hidden by default except _UI_EXTERN ones
diff --git a/darwin/GNUfiles.mk b/darwin/GNUfiles.mk
index ed145a9d..9b9ed693 100644
--- a/darwin/GNUfiles.mk
+++ b/darwin/GNUfiles.mk
@@ -42,10 +42,7 @@ HFILES += \
 # LONGTERM split into a separate file or put in GNUmakefile.libui somehow?
 
 # flags for Cocoa
-LDFLAGS += \
-	-lobjc \
-	-framework Foundation \
-	-framework AppKit
+LDFLAGS += $(NATIVE_UI_LDFLAGS)
 
 # flags for OS X versioning
 CFLAGS += \
@@ -57,9 +54,11 @@ CXXFLAGS += \
 LDFLAGS += \
 	-mmacosx-version-min=10.8
 
+ifeq (,$(STATIC))
 # flags for building a shared library
 LDFLAGS += \
 	-dynamiclib
+endif
 
 # on warning about undefined symbols:
 # the gcc flags don't work with Apple's linker
diff --git a/darwin/GNUosspecific.mk b/darwin/GNUosspecific.mk
index cc13d1b1..9f948e73 100644
--- a/darwin/GNUosspecific.mk
+++ b/darwin/GNUosspecific.mk
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 EXESUFFIX =
 LIBSUFFIX = .dylib
 OSHSUFFIX = .h
+STATICLIBSUFFIX = .a
 TOOLCHAIN = gcc
 
 USESSONAME = 1
@@ -11,3 +12,9 @@ SONAMEEXT = .$(SOVERSION)$(LIBSUFFIX)
 # note the explicit need for @rpath
 # LONGTERM -current_version, -compatibility_version
 SONAMEFLAG = -Wl,-install_name,@rpath/
+
+NATIVE_UI_LDFLAGS += \
+	-lobjc \
+	-framework Foundation \
+	-framework AppKit
+
diff --git a/darwin/GNUosspecificlink.mk b/darwin/GNUosspecificlink.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b9087e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/darwin/GNUosspecificlink.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# 28 may 2016
+
+$(OUT): $(OFILES) | $(OUTDIR)
+ifeq (,$(STATICLIB))
+	@$(reallinker) -o $(OUT) $(OFILES) $(LDFLAGS)
+ifeq ($(USESSONAME),1)
+	@ln -sf $(NAME)$(SUFFIX) $(OUTNOSONAME)
+endif
+else
+	nm -m $(OFILES) | sed -E -n 's/^[0-9a-f]* \([A-Z_]+,[a-z_]+\) external //p' > $(OBJDIR)/symbols
+	$(LD) -exported_symbols_list $(OBJDIR)/symbols -r $(OFILES) -o $(OUT:%.a=%.o)
+	$(AR) rcs $(OUT) $(OUT:%.a=%.o)
+endif
+	@echo ====== Linked $(OUT)
+
diff --git a/unix/GNUfiles.mk b/unix/GNUfiles.mk
index b4a1784c..adc345ec 100644
--- a/unix/GNUfiles.mk
+++ b/unix/GNUfiles.mk
@@ -43,17 +43,16 @@ HFILES += \
 # LONGTERM split into a separate file or put in GNUmakefile.libui somehow?
 
 # flags for GTK+
-CFLAGS += \
-	`pkg-config --cflags gtk+-3.0`
-CXXFLAGS += \
-	`pkg-config --cflags gtk+-3.0`
-LDFLAGS += \
-	`pkg-config --libs gtk+-3.0` -lm -ldl
+CFLAGS += $(NATIVE_UI_CFLAGS)
+CXXFLAGS += $(NATIVE_UI_CXXFLAGS)
+LDFLAGS += $(NATIVE_UI_LDFLAGS)
 
 # flags for building a shared library
 # OS X does support -shared but it has a preferred name for this so let's use that there instead; hence this is not gcc-global
+ifeq (,$(STATIC))
 LDFLAGS += \
 	-shared
+endif
 
 # flags for warning on undefined symbols
 # this is not gcc-global because OS X doesn't support these flags
diff --git a/unix/GNUosspecific.mk b/unix/GNUosspecific.mk
index 5f6fc938..77b91fbb 100644
--- a/unix/GNUosspecific.mk
+++ b/unix/GNUosspecific.mk
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 EXESUFFIX =
 LIBSUFFIX = .so
 OSHSUFFIX = .h
+STATICLIBSUFFIX = .a
 TOOLCHAIN = gcc
 
 # LONGTERM clean up all the NAMEs and SUFFIXs and NOSOSUFFIXs or whatever it was
@@ -11,3 +12,11 @@ SOVERSION = $(SOVERSION0)
 SONAMEEXT = $(LIBSUFFIX).$(SOVERSION)
 # this is not gcc-global because OS X uses a different filename format
 SONAMEFLAG = -Wl,-soname,
+
+NATIVE_UI_CFLAGS = \
+	`pkg-config --cflags gtk+-3.0`
+NATIVE_UI_CXXFLAGS = \
+	`pkg-config --cflags gtk+-3.0`
+NATIVE_UI_LDFLAGS = \
+	`pkg-config --libs gtk+-3.0` -lm -ldl
+
diff --git a/unix/GNUosspecificlink.mk b/unix/GNUosspecificlink.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..573b289f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unix/GNUosspecificlink.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# 28 may 2016
+
+$(OUT): $(OFILES) | $(OUTDIR)
+ifeq (,$(STATICLIB))
+	@$(reallinker) -o $(OUT) $(OFILES) $(LDFLAGS)
+ifeq ($(USESSONAME),1)
+	@ln -sf $(NAME)$(SUFFIX) $(OUTNOSONAME)
+endif
+else
+	$(LD) -r $(OFILES) -o $(OUT:%.a=%.o)
+	objcopy --localize-hidden $(OUT:%.a=%.o)
+	$(AR) rcs $(OUT) $(OUT:%.a=%.o)
+endif
+	@echo ====== Linked $(OUT)
+
diff --git a/windows/GNUfiles.mk b/windows/GNUfiles.mk
index 905d6597..d9e992d2 100644
--- a/windows/GNUfiles.mk
+++ b/windows/GNUfiles.mk
@@ -73,8 +73,10 @@ LDFLAGS += \
 	user32.lib kernel32.lib usp10.lib gdi32.lib comctl32.lib uxtheme.lib msimg32.lib comdlg32.lib d2d1.lib dwrite.lib ole32.lib oleaut32.lib oleacc.lib uuid.lib
 
 # flags for building a shared library
+ifeq (,$(STATIC))
 LDFLAGS += \
 	-dll
+endif
 
 # TODO flags for warning on undefined symbols
 
diff --git a/windows/GNUosspecific.mk b/windows/GNUosspecific.mk
index a4da078f..c8335d66 100644
--- a/windows/GNUosspecific.mk
+++ b/windows/GNUosspecific.mk
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 EXESUFFIX = .exe
 LIBSUFFIX = .dll
 OSHSUFFIX = .h
+STATICLIBSUFFIX = .lib
 TOOLCHAIN = msvc
 
 USESSONAME = 0