diff --git a/cf/pthreads.m4 b/cf/pthreads.m4
index 5f19c80c9..dc8df41b1 100644
--- a/cf/pthreads.m4
+++ b/cf/pthreads.m4
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ dnl $Id$
 AC_DEFUN([KRB_PTHREADS], [
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(if compiling threadsafe libraries)
 
-if test "$PTHREADS_LDFLAGS" = "" ; then
-    PTHREADS_LDFLAGS="-pthread"
+if test "$PTHREADS_LIBS" = "" ; then
+    PTHREADS_LIBS="-pthread"
 fi
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(pthread-support,
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ case "$host" in
 *-*-netbsd*)
 	enable_pthread_support="if running netbsd 1.6T or newer"
 	dnl heim_threads.h knows this
+	PTHREADS_LIBS=""
 	;;
 *-*-freebsd5*)
 	enable_pthread_support=yes
@@ -37,13 +38,16 @@ fi
 if test "$enable_pthread_support" != no; then
     AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_PTHREAD_SUPPORT, 1,
 	[Define if you want have a thread safe libraries])
+    dnl This sucks, but libtool doesn't save the depenecy on -pthread
+    dnl for libraries.
+    LIBS="$PTHREADS_LIBS $LIBS"
 else
   PTHREADS_CFLAGS=""
-  PTHREADS_LDFLAGS=""
+  PTHREADS_LIBS=""
 fi
 
 AC_SUBST(PTHREADS_CFLAGS)
-AC_SUBST(PTHREADS_LDFLAGS)
+AC_SUBST(PTHREADS_LIBS)
 
 AC_MSG_RESULT($enable_pthread_support)
 ])