diff --git a/src/client/Makefile.am b/src/client/Makefile.am
--- a/src/client/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/client/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 bin_PROGRAMS = distren
 distren_SOURCES = distren.c
-distren_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistren.la @XML_LIBS@
+distren_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistrencommon.la @XML_LIBS@
 distren_CFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@ -I@top_srcdir@/src/common @XML_CPPFLAGS@
diff --git a/src/common/Makefile.am b/src/common/Makefile.am
--- a/src/common/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/common/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
-pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libdistren.la
+pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libdistrencommon.la
 
-libdistren_la_SOURCES = options.c options.h execio.h execio.c
+libdistrencommon_la_SOURCES = options.c options.h execio.h execio.c
 #evidently the following should not be LDADD, but LDFLAGS because automake doesn't like the idea of LDADD for libraries for some reason... or I am very confused
-libdistren_la_LIBADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@
-libdistren_la_CXXFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@
+libdistrencommon_la_LIBADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@
+libdistrencommon_la_CXXFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@
+
+#see http://sources.redhat.com/autobook/autobook/autobook_91.html
+# either increase the revision number or the interface number each release!
+libdistrencommon_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 0:0:0
diff --git a/src/server/Makefile.am b/src/server/Makefile.am
--- a/src/server/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/server/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 bin_PROGRAMS = distrend
 distrend_SOURCES = distrend.c
-distrend_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@ @MYSQL_LIBS@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistren.la
+distrend_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@ @MYSQL_LIBS@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistrencommon.la
 distrend_CFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@ @MYSQL_CFLAGS@ -I@top_srcdir@/src/common