diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f8bf6838..aab21e47 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ This README is being written.<br>
 *Note that today's entry may be updated later today.*
 
 * **29 May 2016**
-	* Thanks to @pcwalton, we can now statically link libui! Simply do `make STATIC=1` instead of just `make`.
+	* Thanks to @pcwalton, we can now statically link libui! Simply do `make STATIC=1` instead of just `make`. Right now it only works on GTK+ and OS X.
 
 * **28 May 2016**
 	* As promised, **the minimum system requirements are now OS X 10.8 and GTK+ 3.10 for OS X and Unix, respectively**.
diff --git a/build/GNUbasemsvc.mk b/build/GNUbasemsvc.mk
index 46703b87..0fc5daba 100644
--- a/build/GNUbasemsvc.mk
+++ b/build/GNUbasemsvc.mk
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ endif
 
 # note: don't run cvtres directly; the linker does that for us
 $(OBJDIR)/%.rc.o: $$(subst _,/,%).rc $(HFILES) | $(OBJDIR)
-	@rc -nologo -v -fo $@ $<
+	@rc -nologo -v -fo $@ $(RCFLAGS) $<
 	@echo ====== Compiled $<
 
 $(OBJDIR) $(OUTDIR):
diff --git a/build/GNUmakefile.example b/build/GNUmakefile.example
index 2b9d4cbd..e4d14272 100644
--- a/build/GNUmakefile.example
+++ b/build/GNUmakefile.example
@@ -45,8 +45,12 @@ ifeq ($(TOOLCHAIN),gcc)
 		LDFLAGS += -pthread
 	endif
 else
-	# TODO is there an equivalent to -L?
-	LDFLAGS += $(OUTDIR)/libui.lib
+	ifeq (,$(STATIC))
+		# TODO is there an equivalent to -L?
+		LDFLAGS += $(OUTDIR)/libui.lib
+	else
+		LDFLAGS += $(OUTDIR)/libui.lib $(NATIVE_UI_LDFLAGS)
+	endif
 endif
 
 # executables are not shared libraries
diff --git a/windows/GNUfiles.mk b/windows/GNUfiles.mk
index d9e992d2..0c3b50fa 100644
--- a/windows/GNUfiles.mk
+++ b/windows/GNUfiles.mk
@@ -67,10 +67,7 @@ RCFILES += \
 # LONGTERM split into a separate file or put in GNUmakefile.libui somehow?
 
 # flags for the Windows API
-# notice that usp10.lib comes before gdi32.lib
-# TODO prune this list
-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
+LDFLAGS += $(NATIVE_UI_LDFLAGS)
 
 # flags for building a shared library
 ifeq (,$(STATIC))
@@ -83,3 +80,9 @@ endif
 # no need for a soname
 
 # TODO .def file
+
+ifneq (,$(STATIC))
+CFLAGS += -D_UI_STATIC
+CXXFLAGS += -D_UI_STATIC
+RCFLAGS += -D _UI_STATIC
+endif
diff --git a/windows/GNUosspecific.mk b/windows/GNUosspecific.mk
index c8335d66..b074e06a 100644
--- a/windows/GNUosspecific.mk
+++ b/windows/GNUosspecific.mk
@@ -7,3 +7,8 @@ STATICLIBSUFFIX = .lib
 TOOLCHAIN = msvc
 
 USESSONAME = 0
+
+# notice that usp10.lib comes before gdi32.lib
+# TODO prune this list
+NATIVE_UI_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
diff --git a/windows/resources.rc b/windows/resources.rc
index a0acfcbd..dc60b5e0 100644
--- a/windows/resources.rc
+++ b/windows/resources.rc
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 
 // this is the Common Controls 6 manifest
 // TODO set up the string values here
+#ifndef _UI_STATIC
 ISOLATIONAWARE_MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID RT_MANIFEST "libui.manifest"
+#endif
 
 // this is the dialog template used by tab pages; see windows/tabpage.c for details
 rcTabPageDialog DIALOGEX 0, 0, 100, 100
diff --git a/windows/winapi.hpp b/windows/winapi.hpp
index 246760da..86aba5d7 100644
--- a/windows/winapi.hpp
+++ b/windows/winapi.hpp
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@
 #define INITGUID
 
 // for the manifest
+#ifndef _UI_STATIC
 #define ISOLATION_AWARE_ENABLED 1
+#endif
 
 // get Windows version right; right now Windows Vista
 // unless otherwise stated, all values from Microsoft's sdkddkver.h