diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
index 1b7dd4c..008ae5d 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
@@ -82,6 +82,18 @@
         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,--enable-new-dtags,-R/foo')
+
+
         # non-GCC GNULD
         sys.platform = 'bar'
         def gcv(v):
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/unixccompiler.py
index 2083f82..67adcfc 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
@@ -285,12 +288,12 @@
             # 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):
             # 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
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 97720bc..3536ff4 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #7617: Make sure distutils.unixccompiler.UnixCCompiler recognizes
+  gcc when it has a fully qualified configuration prefix. Initial patch
+  by Arfrever.
+
 - Issue #7092: Remove py3k warning when importing cPickle.  2to3 handles
   renaming of `cPickle` to `pickle`.  The warning was annoying since there's
   no alternative to cPickle if you care about performance.  Patch by Florent