diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
index 9097bee..141c286 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_build_ext.py
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@
         dist = Distribution({'name': 'xx'})
         cmd = build_ext(dist)
 
-        # making sure the suer option is there
+        # making sure the user option is there
         options = [name for name, short, lable in
                    cmd.user_options]
         self.assert_('user' in options)
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@
         # see if include_dirs and library_dirs
         # were set
         self.assert_(lib in cmd.library_dirs)
+        self.assert_(lib in cmd.rpath)
         self.assert_(incl in cmd.include_dirs)
 
     def test_optional_extension(self):
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94e9edf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+"""Tests for distutils.unixccompiler."""
+import sys
+import unittest
+
+from distutils import sysconfig
+from distutils.unixccompiler import UnixCCompiler
+
+class UnixCCompilerTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self._backup_platform = sys.platform
+        self._backup_get_config_var = sysconfig.get_config_var
+        class CompilerWrapper(UnixCCompiler):
+            def rpath_foo(self):
+                return self.runtime_library_dir_option('/foo')
+        self.cc = CompilerWrapper()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        sys.platform = self._backup_platform
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = self._backup_get_config_var
+
+    def test_runtime_libdir_option(self):
+
+        # not tested under windows
+        if sys.platform == 'win32':
+            return
+
+        # Issue#5900
+        #
+        # Ensure RUNPATH is added to extension modules with RPATH if
+        # GNU ld is used
+
+        # darwin
+        sys.platform = 'darwin'
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-L/foo')
+
+        # hp-ux
+        sys.platform = 'hp-ux'
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '+s -L/foo')
+
+        # irix646
+        sys.platform = 'irix646'
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), ['-rpath', '/foo'])
+
+        # osf1V5
+        sys.platform = 'osf1V5'
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), ['-rpath', '/foo'])
+
+        # GCC GNULD
+        sys.platform = 'bar'
+        def gcv(v):
+            if v == 'CC':
+                return 'gcc'
+            elif v == 'GNULD':
+                return 'yes'
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R/foo')
+
+        # GCC non-GNULD
+        sys.platform = 'bar'
+        def gcv(v):
+            if v == 'CC':
+                return 'gcc'
+            elif v == 'GNULD':
+                return 'no'
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-Wl,-R/foo')
+
+        # non-GCC GNULD
+        sys.platform = 'bar'
+        def gcv(v):
+            if v == 'CC':
+                return 'cc'
+            elif v == 'GNULD':
+                return 'yes'
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-R/foo')
+
+        # non-GCC non-GNULD
+        sys.platform = 'bar'
+        def gcv(v):
+            if v == 'CC':
+                return 'cc'
+            elif v == 'GNULD':
+                return 'no'
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-R/foo')
+
+def test_suite():
+    return unittest.makeSuite(UnixCCompilerTestCase)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main(defaultTest="test_suite")
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
index 045368a..0b1dc4a 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
@@ -273,8 +273,9 @@
         # Linkers on different platforms need different options to
         # specify that directories need to be added to the list of
         # directories searched for dependencies when a dynamic library
-        # is sought.  GCC has to be told to pass the -R option through
-        # to the linker, whereas other compilers just know this.
+        # is sought.  GCC on GNU systems (Linux, FreeBSD, ...) has to
+        # be told to pass the -R option through to the linker, whereas
+        # other compilers and gcc on other systems just know this.
         # Other compilers may need something slightly different.  At
         # this time, there's no way to determine this information from
         # the configuration data stored in the Python installation, so
@@ -287,10 +288,23 @@
             return "+s -L" + dir
         elif sys.platform[:7] == "irix646" or sys.platform[:6] == "osf1V5":
             return ["-rpath", dir]
-        elif compiler[:3] == "gcc" or compiler[:3] == "g++":
-            return "-Wl,-R" + dir
         else:
-            return "-R" + dir
+            if compiler[:3] == "gcc" or compiler[:3] == "g++":
+                # gcc on non-GNU systems does not need -Wl, but can
+                # use it anyway.  Since distutils has always passed in
+                # -Wl whenever gcc was used in the past it is probably
+                # safest to keep doing so.
+                if sysconfig.get_config_var("GNULD") == "yes":
+                    # GNU ld needs an extra option to get a RUNPATH
+                    # instead of just an RPATH.
+                    return "-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R" + dir
+                else:
+                    return "-Wl,-R" + dir
+            else:
+                # No idea how --enable-new-dtags would be passed on to
+                # ld if this system was using GNU ld.  Don't know if a
+                # system like this even exists.
+                return "-R" + dir
 
     def library_option(self, lib):
         return "-l" + lib