diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1256,17 +1260,17 @@ class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
                     if find_file("ndbm.h", inc_dirs, []) is not None:
                         # Some systems have -lndbm, others have -lgdbm_compat,
                         # others don't have either
                         if self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs,
                                                                'ndbm'):
                             ndbm_libs = ['ndbm']
                         elif self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs,
                                                              'gdbm_compat'):
-                            ndbm_libs = ['gdbm_compat']
+                            ndbm_libs = ['gdbm', 'gdbm_compat']
                         else:
                             ndbm_libs = []
                         if dbm_setup_debug: print("building dbm using ndbm")
                         dbmext = Extension('_dbm', ['_dbmmodule.c'],
                                            define_macros=[
                                                ('HAVE_NDBM_H',None),
                                                ],
                                            libraries=ndbm_libs)