diff --git a/cscs-checks/libraries/io/hdf5_compile_run.py b/cscs-checks/libraries/io/hdf5_compile_run.py
index 491c9868e6..76b0b46e84 100644
--- a/cscs-checks/libraries/io/hdf5_compile_run.py
+++ b/cscs-checks/libraries/io/hdf5_compile_run.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ def __init__(self, lang, linkage):
             'c': 'C',
             'f90': 'Fortran 90'
         }
+        self.linkage = linkage
         self.descr = lang_names[lang] + ' HDF5 ' + linkage.capitalize()
         self.sourcepath = 'h5ex_d_chunk.' + lang
         self.valid_systems = ['daint:gpu', 'daint:mc', 'dom:gpu', 'dom:mc',
@@ -74,3 +75,14 @@ def __init__(self, lang, linkage):
 
         self.maintainers = ['SO', 'RS']
         self.tags = {'production', 'craype'}
+
+    @rfm.run_before('compile')
+    def cray_linker_workaround(self):
+        # FIXME: static compilation yields a link error in case of
+        # PrgEnv-cray(Cray Bug #255707)
+        if not (self.linkage == 'static' and
+                self.current_system.name == 'dom' and
+                self.current_environ.name == 'PrgEnv-cray'):
+            return
+
+        self.variables = {'ALT_LINKER': '/usr/bin/ld'}
diff --git a/cscs-checks/libraries/io/netcdf_compile_run.py b/cscs-checks/libraries/io/netcdf_compile_run.py
index 9dcbbf297f..a6ded7da52 100644
--- a/cscs-checks/libraries/io/netcdf_compile_run.py
+++ b/cscs-checks/libraries/io/netcdf_compile_run.py
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ def __init__(self, lang, linkage):
 
     @rfm.run_before('compile')
     def setflags(self):
-        environ = self.current_environ
         if self.current_system.name == 'kesch':
-            if environ.name == 'PrgEnv-cray-nompi':
+            if self.current_environ.name == 'PrgEnv-cray-nompi':
                 self.modules = ['netcdf/4.4.1.1-gmvolf-17.02',
                                 'netcdf-c++/4.3.0-gmvolf-17.02',
                                 'netcdf-fortran/4.4.4-gmvolf-17.02']
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ def setflags(self):
                     '-L$EBROOTNETCDFMINFORTRAN/lib64',
                     '-lnetcdf', '-lnetcdf_c++4', '-lnetcdff'
                 ]
-            elif environ.name == 'PrgEnv-pgi-nompi':
+            elif self.current_environ.name == 'PrgEnv-pgi-nompi':
                 self.modules = ['netcdf/4.6.1-pgi-18.5-gcc-5.4.0-2.26',
                                 'netcdf-c++/4.3.0-pgi-18.5-gcc-5.4.0-2.26',
                                 'netcdf-fortran/4.4.4-pgi-18.5-gcc-5.4.0-2.26']
@@ -84,3 +83,14 @@ def setflags(self):
                 ]
         else:
             self.build_system.ldflags = ['-%s' % self.linkage]
+
+    @rfm.run_before('compile')
+    def cray_linker_workaround(self):
+        # FIXME: static compilation yields a link error in case of
+        # PrgEnv-cray(Cray Bug #255707)
+        if not (self.linkage == 'static' and
+                self.current_system.name == 'dom' and
+                self.current_environ.name == 'PrgEnv-cray'):
+            return
+
+        self.variables = {'ALT_LINKER': '/usr/bin/ld'}
diff --git a/cscs-checks/libraries/math/scalapack_compile_run.py b/cscs-checks/libraries/math/scalapack_compile_run.py
index 75ec4a33b6..4480f272e4 100644
--- a/cscs-checks/libraries/math/scalapack_compile_run.py
+++ b/cscs-checks/libraries/math/scalapack_compile_run.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 class ScaLAPACKTest(rfm.RegressionTest):
     def __init__(self, linkage):
+        self.linkage = linkage
         self.sourcesdir = os.path.join(self.current_system.resourcesdir,
                                        'scalapack')
         self.valid_systems = ['daint:gpu', 'daint:mc', 'dom:mc',
@@ -27,6 +28,17 @@ def __init__(self, linkage):
         self.maintainers = ['CB', 'LM']
         self.tags = {'production', 'external-resources'}
 
+    @rfm.run_before('compile')
+    def cray_linker_workaround(self):
+        # FIXME: static compilation yields a link error in case of
+        # PrgEnv-cray(Cray Bug #255707)
+        if not (self.linkage == 'static' and
+                self.current_system.name == 'dom' and
+                self.current_environ.name == 'PrgEnv-cray'):
+            return
+
+        self.variables['ALT_LINKER'] = '/usr/bin/ld'
+
 
 @rfm.required_version('>=2.14')
 @rfm.parameterized_test(['static'], ['dynamic'])
diff --git a/cscs-checks/prgenv/helloworld.py b/cscs-checks/prgenv/helloworld.py
index 399ebbfb59..a06d4dae5e 100644
--- a/cscs-checks/prgenv/helloworld.py
+++ b/cscs-checks/prgenv/helloworld.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 class HelloWorldBaseTest(rfm.RegressionTest):
     def __init__(self, variant, lang, linkage):
+        self.linkage = linkage
         self.variables = {'CRAYPE_LINK_TYPE': linkage}
         self.prgenv_flags = {}
         self.lang_names = {
@@ -32,9 +33,6 @@ def __init__(self, variant, lang, linkage):
 
         self.compilation_time_seconds = None
 
-        self.maintainers = ['VH', 'EK']
-        self.tags = {'production', 'craype'}
-
         result = sn.findall(r'Hello World from thread \s*(\d+) out '
                             r'of \s*(\d+) from process \s*(\d+) out of '
                             r'\s*(\d+)', self.stdout)
@@ -81,6 +79,9 @@ def num_ranks(match):
             }
         }
 
+        self.maintainers = ['VH', 'EK']
+        self.tags = {'production', 'craype'}
+
     @rfm.run_before('compile')
     def setflags(self):
         envname = self.current_environ.name.replace('-nompi', '')
@@ -98,6 +99,17 @@ def compile_timer_end(self):
         elapsed = datetime.now() - self.compilation_time_seconds
         self.compilation_time_seconds = elapsed.total_seconds()
 
+    @rfm.run_before('compile')
+    def cray_linker_workaround(self):
+        # FIXME: static compilation yields a link error in case of
+        # PrgEnv-cray(Cray Bug #255707)
+        if not (self.linkage == 'static' and
+                self.current_system.name == 'dom' and
+                self.current_environ.name.startswith('PrgEnv-cray')):
+            return
+
+        self.variables['ALT_LINKER'] = '/usr/bin/ld'
+
 
 @rfm.required_version('>=2.14')
 @rfm.parameterized_test(*([lang, linkage]