diff -r 2ec9e65d94b4 Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py
--- a/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py	Mon Aug 16 02:28:05 2010 +0200
+++ b/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py	Sat Aug 21 19:41:52 2010 +0200
@@ -160,8 +160,9 @@ def customize_compiler(compiler):
     varies across Unices and is stored in Python's Makefile.
     """
     if compiler.compiler_type == "unix":
-        (cc, cxx, opt, cflags, ccshared, ldshared, so_ext, ar, ar_flags) = \
-            get_config_vars('CC', 'CXX', 'OPT', 'CFLAGS',
+        (cc, cxx, opt, cflags, ldflags,
+         ccshared, ldshared, so_ext, ar, ar_flags) = \
+            get_config_vars('CC', 'CXX', 'OPT', 'CFLAGS', 'LDFLAGS',
                             'CCSHARED', 'LDSHARED', 'SO', 'AR', 'ARFLAGS')
 
         if 'CC' in os.environ:
@@ -175,14 +176,14 @@ def customize_compiler(compiler):
         else:
             cpp = cc + " -E"           # not always
         if 'LDFLAGS' in os.environ:
-            ldshared = ldshared + ' ' + os.environ['LDFLAGS']
+            ldflags = os.environ['LDFLAGS']
         if 'CFLAGS' in os.environ:
             cflags = opt + ' ' + os.environ['CFLAGS']
-            ldshared = ldshared + ' ' + os.environ['CFLAGS']
+            ldflags = ldflags + ' ' + os.environ['CFLAGS']     # XXX why?
         if 'CPPFLAGS' in os.environ:
             cpp = cpp + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']
-            cflags = cflags + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']
-            ldshared = ldshared + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']
+            cflags = cflags + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']     # XXX why?
+            ldflags = ldflags + ' ' + os.environ['CPPFLAGS']   # XXX why?
         if 'AR' in os.environ:
             ar = os.environ['AR']
         if 'ARFLAGS' in os.environ:
@@ -191,13 +192,14 @@ def customize_compiler(compiler):
             archiver = ar + ' ' + ar_flags
 
         cc_cmd = cc + ' ' + cflags
+        ldshared_cmd = ldshared + ' ' + ldflags
         compiler.set_executables(
             preprocessor=cpp,
             compiler=cc_cmd,
             compiler_so=cc_cmd + ' ' + ccshared,
             compiler_cxx=cxx,
-            linker_so=ldshared,
-            linker_exe=cc,
+            linker_so=ldshared_cmd,
+            linker_exe=cc,               # XXX doesn't inherit any flags?
             archiver=archiver)
 
         compiler.shared_lib_extension = so_ext