diff --git a/src/common/Makefile.am b/src/common/Makefile.am
--- a/src/common/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/common/Makefile.am
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libdistrencommon.la
 
 libdistrencommon_la_SOURCES = options.c options.h execio.h execio.c remoteio.h libremoteio.h remoteio.c asprintf.h asprintf.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
-libdistrencommon_la_LIBADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@
+libdistrencommon_la_LIBADD = @DISTLIBS_LDADD@
 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
+libdistrencommon_la_LDFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_LDFLAGS@ -version-info 0:0:0