diff --git a/examples/Makefile.am b/examples/Makefile.am
index f64a1d3..2b5d47a 100644
--- a/examples/Makefile.am
+++ b/examples/Makefile.am
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign
 noinst_PROGRAMS  = testit cli
 LDADD            = $(top_builddir)/src/libeditline.la $(TERMLIBS)
 AM_CFLAGS        = -I$(top_srcdir)/src -I$(top_srcdir)/include
-
+AM_LDFLAGS       = -static
diff --git a/examples/Makefile.in b/examples/Makefile.in
index 94be494..efdb2a9 100644
--- a/examples/Makefile.in
+++ b/examples/Makefile.in
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ top_builddir = @top_builddir@
 top_srcdir = @top_srcdir@
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign
 LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libeditline.la $(TERMLIBS)
+AM_LDFLAGS = -static
 all: all-am
 
 .SUFFIXES: