--- a/bfd/Makefile.in
+++ b/bfd/Makefile.in
@@ -336,7 +336,6 @@ libbfd_la_LDFLAGS = $(am__append_1) -release `cat libtool-soversion` \
 @INSTALL_LIBBFD_FALSE@noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libbfd.la
 AM_CFLAGS = $(WARN_CFLAGS)
 AM_CPPFLAGS = -DBINDIR='"$(bindir)"'
-@PLUGINS_TRUE@LIBDL = -ldl
 
 # bfd.h goes here, for now
 BFD_H = bfd.h
@@ -1054,7 +1053,7 @@ OFILES = $(BFD_BACKENDS) $(BFD_MACHINES) @COREFILE@ @bfd64_libs@
 libbfd_la_SOURCES = $(BFD32_LIBS_CFILES)
 EXTRA_libbfd_la_SOURCES = $(CFILES)
 libbfd_la_DEPENDENCIES = $(OFILES) ofiles
-libbfd_la_LIBADD = `cat ofiles` @SHARED_LIBADD@ $(LIBDL)
+libbfd_la_LIBADD = `cat ofiles` @SHARED_LIBADD@
 
 # libtool will build .libs/libbfd.a.  We create libbfd.a in the build
 # directory so that we don't have to convert all the programs that use
--- a/bfd/configure.in
+++ b/bfd/configure.in
@@ -23,9 +23,15 @@ AC_PROG_CC
 AM_CONDITIONAL(PLUGINS, test "$plugins" = "yes")
 
 if test "$plugins" = "yes"; then
-  if test "$enable_dlopen" != "yes" ; then
+  has_dlopen=yes
+  # Check for dlopen support
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER([dlfcn.h],[],[has_dlopen=no],[AC_INCLUDES_DEFAULT])
+  AC_SEARCH_LIBS([dlopen],[dl],[],[has_dlopen=no],[])
+  AC_CHECK_FUNCS([dlsym dlclose],[],[has_dlopen=no])
+
+  if test "$has_dlopen" != "yes" ; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([
-      Building BFD with plugin support requires a host that supports -ldl.])
+      Building BFD with plugin support requires a host that supports dlopen.])
   fi
   enable_targets="$enable_targets plugin"
 fi
diff --git a/gold/Makefile.am b/gold/Makefile.am
index df5e66c..2aae464 100644
--- a/gold/Makefile.am
+++ b/gold/Makefile.am
@@ -19,10 +19,6 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 
 LIBIBERTY = ../libiberty/libiberty.a
 
-if PLUGINS
-LIBDL = -ldl
-endif
-
 if THREADS
 THREADSLIB = -lpthread
 endif
@@ -152,7 +148,7 @@ libgold_a_LIBADD = $(LIBOBJS)
 sources_var = main.cc
 deps_var = $(TARGETOBJS) libgold.a $(LIBIBERTY) $(LIBINTL_DEP)
 ldadd_var = $(TARGETOBJS) libgold.a $(LIBIBERTY) $(LIBINTL) \
-	 $(THREADSLIB) $(LIBDL)
+	 $(THREADSLIB)
 
 ld_new_SOURCES = $(sources_var)
 ld_new_DEPENDENCIES = $(deps_var)
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ incremental_dump_SOURCES = incremental-dump.cc
 incremental_dump_DEPENDENCIES = $(TARGETOBJS) libgold.a $(LIBIBERTY) \
 	$(LIBINTL_DEP)
 incremental_dump_LDADD = $(TARGETOBJS) libgold.a $(LIBIBERTY) $(LIBINTL) \
-	 $(THREADSLIB) $(LIBDL)
+	 $(THREADSLIB)
 
 # Use an explicit dependency for the bison generated header file.
 expression.$(OBJEXT): yyscript.h
diff --git a/gold/configure.ac b/gold/configure.ac
index 685e85b..a10428b 100644
--- a/gold/configure.ac
+++ b/gold/configure.ac
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([plugins],
 if test "$plugins" = "yes"; then
   AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_PLUGINS, 1,
 	    [Define to enable linker plugins])
+  # Check for dlopen support
+  AC_CHECK_HEADER([dlfcn.h],[],[has_dlopen=no],[AC_INCLUDES_DEFAULT])
+  AC_SEARCH_LIBS([dlopen],[dl],[],[has_dlopen=no],[])
+  AC_CHECK_FUNCS([dlopen dlsym dlclose],[],[has_dlopen=no])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(PLUGINS, test "$plugins" = "yes")