diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f233e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+"""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'
+        old_gcv = sysconfig.get_config_var
+        def gcv(v):
+            return 'xxx'
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), ['+s', '-L/foo'])
+
+        def gcv(v):
+            return 'gcc'
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), ['-Wl,+s', '-L/foo'])
+
+        def gcv(v):
+            return 'g++'
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), ['-Wl,+s', '-L/foo'])
+
+        sysconfig.get_config_var = old_gcv
+
+        # 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,-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')
+
+        # GCC GNULD with fully qualified configuration prefix
+        # see #7617
+        sys.platform = 'bar'
+        def gcv(v):
+            if v == 'CC':
+                return 'x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-gcc-4.4.2'
+            elif v == 'GNULD':
+                return 'yes'
+        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')
+
+        # AIX C/C++ linker
+        sys.platform = 'aix'
+        def gcv(v):
+            return 'xxx'
+        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 7556cbd..783d4dc 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
@@ -266,6 +266,9 @@
     def library_dir_option(self, dir):
         return "-L" + dir
 
+    def _is_gcc(self, compiler_name):
+        return "gcc" in compiler_name or "g++" in compiler_name
+
     def runtime_library_dir_option(self, dir):
         # XXX Hackish, at the very least.  See Python bug #445902:
         # http://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php
@@ -284,12 +287,12 @@
             # MacOSX's linker doesn't understand the -R flag at all
             return "-L" + dir
         elif sys.platform[:5] == "hp-ux":
-            if "gcc" in compiler or "g++" in compiler:
+            if self._is_gcc(compiler):
                 return ["-Wl,+s", "-L" + dir]
             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++":
+        elif self._is_gcc(compiler):
             return "-Wl,-R" + dir
         else:
             return "-R" + dir