diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3a308a996c..ac7d2468b8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -173,6 +173,11 @@ AC_OUTPUT
 if test "$enable_llvm" = "yes" && test "$subdirfailed" != "no"; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([Failed to configure LLVM, and LLVM was explicitly requested])
 fi
+if test "$enable_llvm" = "auto" && test "$subdirfailed" != "no"; then
+    system_llvm="MIA"
+    llvm_linking=""
+fi
+
 AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_LLVM],
 	       [test "$subdirfailed" != "yes" && test "$enable_llvm" != "no"])
 no_recursion="yes";
@@ -216,7 +221,11 @@ have_jit="no"
 if test "$subdirfailed" = "no"; then
     have_jit="yes"
 fi
-CL_MSG_STATUS([llvm        ],[$have_jit, from $system_llvm],[$enable_llvm])
+if test "x$llvm_linking" = "x"; then
+   CL_MSG_STATUS([llvm        ],[$have_jit, from $system_llvm],[$enable_llvm])
+else
+   CL_MSG_STATUS([llvm        ],[$have_jit, from $system_llvm ($llvm_linking)],[$enable_llvm])
+fi
 CL_MSG_STATUS([mempool     ],[$have_mempool],[$enable_mempool])
 
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Summary of engine detection features])
diff --git a/libclamav/c++/configure.ac b/libclamav/c++/configure.ac
index 102478cff5..7fb58aabf3 100644
--- a/libclamav/c++/configure.ac
+++ b/libclamav/c++/configure.ac
@@ -77,6 +77,26 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([system-llvm], AC_HELP_STRING([--with-system-llvm],
  fi
 ])
 
+llvm_linking=
+AC_ARG_WITH([llvm-linking], [AC_HELP_STRING([--with-llvm-linking],
+[specifies method to linking llvm @<:@static|dynamic@:>@, only valid with --with-system-llvm])],
+[
+if test "x$llvmconfig" = "x"; then
+   AC_MSG_ERROR([Failed to configure LLVM, and LLVM linking was specified without valid llvm-config])  
+else
+case "$withval" in
+  static)
+    llvm_linking="static"
+    ;;
+  dynamic)
+    llvm_linking="dynamic"
+    ;;
+  *)
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([Invalid argument to --with-llvm-linking])
+esac
+fi
+], [])
+
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([for supported LLVM version])
 if test "x$llvmconfig" = "x"; then
     dnl macro not available in older autotools
@@ -112,16 +132,24 @@ fi
 dnl aquire the required flags to properly link in external LLVM
 if test "x$llvmconfig" != "x"; then
     AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_CXXFLAGS, [`$llvmconfig --cxxflags`])
-    if test $llvmver_test -ge 350; then
-        dnl LLVM 3.5.0 and after splits linker flags into two sets
-        ldflags=`$llvmconfig --ldflags`
-        syslibs=`$llvmconfig --system-libs`
-        AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LDFLAGS, ["$ldflags $syslibs"])
-    else
+
+    if test "x$llvm_linking" = "xdynamic"; then
         AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LDFLAGS, [`$llvmconfig --ldflags`])
+        AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LIBS, [-lLLVM-$llvmver])
+        AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LIBFILES, [])
+    else
+        if test $llvmver_test -ge 350; then
+           dnl LLVM 3.5.0 and after splits linker flags into two sets
+           ldflags=`$llvmconfig --ldflags`
+           syslibs=`$llvmconfig --system-libs`
+           AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LDFLAGS, ["$ldflags $syslibs"])
+        else
+           AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LDFLAGS, [`$llvmconfig --ldflags`])
+        fi
+        AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LIBS, [`$llvmconfig --libs jit nativecodegen scalaropts ipo`])
+        AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LIBFILES, [`$llvmconfig --libfiles jit nativecodegen scalaropts ipo`])
     fi
-    AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LIBS, [`$llvmconfig --libs jit nativecodegen scalaropts ipo`])
-    AC_SUBST(LLVMCONFIG_LIBFILES, [`$llvmconfig --libfiles jit nativecodegen scalaropts ipo`])
+
     AC_MSG_NOTICE([CXXFLAGS from llvm-config: $LLVMCONFIG_CXXFLAGS])
     AC_MSG_NOTICE([LDFLAGS from llvm-config: $LLVMCONFIG_LDFLAGS])
     AC_MSG_NOTICE([LIBS from llvm-config: $LLVMCONFIG_LIBS])
diff --git a/m4/reorganization/llvm.m4 b/m4/reorganization/llvm.m4
index 0c7590c243..ec2bbda206 100644
--- a/m4/reorganization/llvm.m4
+++ b/m4/reorganization/llvm.m4
@@ -13,6 +13,31 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([system-llvm], [AC_HELP_STRING([--with-system-llvm],
  esac
 ], [system_llvm="built-in"])
 
+AC_ARG_WITH([llvm-linking], [AC_HELP_STRING([--with-llvm-linking],
+[specifies method to linking llvm @<:@static|dynamic@:>@, only valid with --with-system-llvm])],
+[
+if test "x$system_llvm" = "xbuilt-in"; then
+   AC_MSG_ERROR([Failed to configure LLVM, and LLVM linking was specified without specifying system-llvm])  
+else
+case "$withval" in
+  static)
+    llvm_linking="static"
+    ;;
+  dynamic)
+    llvm_linking="dynamic"
+    ;;
+  *)
+    AC_MSG_ERROR([Invalid argument to --with-llvm-linking])
+esac
+fi
+], [
+if test "x$system_llvm" = "xbuilt-in"; then
+   llvm_linking=""
+else
+   llvm_linking="auto"
+fi
+])
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([llvm],AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-llvm],
 [enable 'llvm' JIT/verifier support @<:@default=auto@:>@]),
 [enable_llvm=$enableval],
@@ -29,4 +54,5 @@ if test "$enable_llvm" != "no"; then
     AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS_OPTIONAL([libclamav/c++])
 else
     system_llvm="none"
+    llvm_linking=""
 fi