diff -r 44a382d49e86 -r ce3be1c1091a Lib/ctypes/test/test_find.py
--- a/Lib/ctypes/test/test_find.py	Mon Jun 04 00:32:15 2012 -0700
+++ b/Lib/ctypes/test/test_find.py	Mon Jun 04 22:07:00 2012 +0100
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import unittest
+import os
 import sys
 from ctypes import *
 from ctypes.util import find_library
@@ -55,6 +56,57 @@
             if self.gle:
                 self.gle.gleGetJoinStyle
 
+
+@unittest.skipUnless(sys.platform.startswith('linux'),
+                     'Test only valid for Linux')
+class LibPathFindTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_find_on_libpath(self):
+        import subprocess
+        import tempfile
+
+        p = subprocess.Popen(['gcc', '--version'], stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                             stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+        out, _ = p.communicate()
+        if p.returncode != 0:
+            raise unittest.SkipTest('gcc, needed for test, not available')
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            # create an empty temporary file
+            srcname = os.path.join(d, 'dummy.c')
+            dstname = os.path.join(d, 'libdummy.so')
+            with open(srcname, 'w') as f:
+                pass
+            self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(srcname))
+            # compile the file to a shared library
+            cmd = ['gcc', '-o', dstname, '--shared',
+                   '-Wl,-soname,libdummy.so', srcname]
+            p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                                 stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+            out, _ = p.communicate()
+            self.assertEqual(p.returncode, 0)
+            self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(dstname))
+            # now check that libdummy.so can't be found (since not in
+            # LD_LIBRARY_PATH)
+            self.assertTrue(find_library('dummy') is None)
+            # now add the location to LD_LIBRARY_PATH
+            KEY = 'LD_LIBRARY_PATH'
+            if KEY not in os.environ:
+                existed = False
+                os.environ[KEY] = d
+            else:
+                existed = True
+                old_path = os.environ[KEY]
+                os.environ[KEY] = '%s:%s' % (old_path, d)
+            try:
+                # now check that libdummy.so can be found (since in
+                # LD_LIBRARY_PATH)
+                self.assertTrue(find_library('dummy') == 'libdummy.so')
+            finally:
+                # restore environment
+                if not existed:
+                    del os.environ[KEY]
+                else:
+                    os.environ[KEY] = old_path
+
 ##if os.name == "posix" and sys.platform != "darwin":
 
 ##    # On platforms where the default shared library suffix is '.so',
diff -r 44a382d49e86 -r ce3be1c1091a Lib/ctypes/util.py
--- a/Lib/ctypes/util.py	Mon Jun 04 00:32:15 2012 -0700
+++ b/Lib/ctypes/util.py	Mon Jun 04 22:07:00 2012 +0100
@@ -88,29 +88,25 @@
     import re, tempfile, errno
 
     def _findLib_gcc(name):
+        # Use ld instead of gcc. See comment for Issue #11959.
         expr = r'[^\(\)\s]*lib%s\.[^\(\)\s]*' % re.escape(name)
-        fdout, ccout = tempfile.mkstemp()
-        os.close(fdout)
-        cmd = 'if type gcc >/dev/null 2>&1; then CC=gcc; elif type cc >/dev/null 2>&1; then CC=cc;else exit 10; fi;' \
-              '$CC -Wl,-t -o ' + ccout + ' 2>&1 -l' + name
-        try:
-            f = os.popen(cmd)
-            try:
-                trace = f.read()
-            finally:
-                rv = f.close()
-        finally:
-            try:
-                os.unlink(ccout)
-            except OSError as e:
-                if e.errno != errno.ENOENT:
-                    raise
-        if rv == 10:
-            raise OSError('gcc or cc command not found')
-        res = re.search(expr, trace)
+        cmd = ['ld', '-t']
+        libpath = os.environ.get('LD_LIBRARY_PATH')
+        if libpath:
+            for d in libpath.split(':'):
+                cmd.extend(['-L', d])
+        cmd.extend(['-o', os.devnull, '-l%s' % name])
+        p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                             stderr=subprocess.PIPE, env=os.environ)
+        out, _ = p.communicate()
+        import locale
+        encoding = locale.getpreferredencoding()
+        res = re.search(expr, out.decode(encoding))
         if not res:
-            return None
-        return res.group(0)
+            result = None
+        else:
+            result = res.group(0)
+        return result
 
 
     if sys.platform == "sunos5":