diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 7d19e135e..1d9a5fb65 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ pub struct Config {
     cargo_metadata: bool,
     pic: Option<bool>,
     static_crt: Option<bool>,
+    shared_flag: Option<bool>,
+    static_flag: Option<bool>,
 }
 
 /// Configuration used to represent an invocation of a C compiler.
@@ -185,6 +187,8 @@ impl Config {
             objects: Vec::new(),
             flags: Vec::new(),
             files: Vec::new(),
+            shared_flag: None,
+            static_flag: None,
             cpp: false,
             cpp_link_stdlib: None,
             cpp_set_stdlib: None,
@@ -226,6 +230,24 @@ impl Config {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Set the `-shared` flag.
+    ///
+    /// When enabled, the compiler will produce a shared object which can
+    /// then be linked with other objects to form an executable.
+    pub fn shared_flag(&mut self, shared_flag: bool) -> &mut Config {
+        self.shared_flag = Some(shared_flag);
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Set the `-static` flag.
+    ///
+    /// When enabled on systems that support dynamic linking, this prevents
+    /// linking with the shared libraries.
+    pub fn static_flag(&mut self, static_flag: bool) -> &mut Config {
+        self.static_flag = Some(static_flag);
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Add a file which will be compiled
     pub fn file<P: AsRef<Path>>(&mut self, p: P) -> &mut Config {
         self.files.push(p.as_ref().to_path_buf());
@@ -618,7 +640,7 @@ impl Config {
                     cmd.args.push("-m64".into());
                 }
 
-                if target.contains("musl") {
+                if self.static_flag.is_none() && target.contains("musl") {
                     cmd.args.push("-static".into());
                 }
 
@@ -698,6 +720,13 @@ impl Config {
             self.ios_flags(&mut cmd);
         }
 
+        if self.static_flag.unwrap_or(false) {
+            cmd.args.push("-static".into());
+        }
+        if self.shared_flag.unwrap_or(false) {
+            cmd.args.push("-shared".into());
+        }
+
         if self.cpp {
             match (self.cpp_set_stdlib.as_ref(), cmd.family) {
                 (None, _) => { }
diff --git a/tests/test.rs b/tests/test.rs
index 8fda3ed64..2be5ecdba 100644
--- a/tests/test.rs
+++ b/tests/test.rs
@@ -169,6 +169,34 @@ fn gnu_compile_assembly() {
     test.cmd(0).must_have("foo.S");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn gnu_shared() {
+    let test = Test::gnu();
+    test.gcc()
+        .file("foo.c")
+        .shared_flag(true)
+        .static_flag(false)
+        .compile("libfoo.a");
+
+    test.cmd(0)
+        .must_have("-shared")
+        .must_not_have("-static");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn gnu_static() {
+    let test = Test::gnu();
+    test.gcc()
+        .file("foo.c")
+        .shared_flag(false)
+        .static_flag(true)
+        .compile("libfoo.a");
+
+    test.cmd(0)
+        .must_have("-static")
+        .must_not_have("-shared");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn msvc_smoke() {
     let test = Test::msvc();