diff --git a/src/client/Makefile.am b/src/client/Makefile.am
--- a/src/client/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/client/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 bin_PROGRAMS = distren
 distren_SOURCES = distren.c
-distren_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@libdistren.la
+distren_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LDADD@ libdistren.la
+distren_LDFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_LDFLAGS@
 distren_CFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@
 
 
@@ -13,9 +14,9 @@ lib_LTLIBRARIES = libdistren.la
 
 libdistren_la_SOURCES = distren.h libdistren.h libdistren.c libdistren_job.c libdistren_unbias.c libdistren_config.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@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistrencommon.la
+libdistren_la_LIBADD = @DISTLIBS_LDADD@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistrencommon.la
 libdistren_la_CFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@ -I@top_srcdir@/src/common
 
 #see http://sources.redhat.com/autobook/autobook/autobook_91.html
 # either increase the revision number or the interface number each release!
-libdistren_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 0:0:0
+libdistren_la_LDFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_LDFLAGS@ -version-info 0:0:0