diff --git a/src/Makefile.housekeeping b/src/Makefile.housekeeping
index 57e52c0f..c184351d 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.housekeeping
+++ b/src/Makefile.housekeeping
@@ -138,6 +138,17 @@ SP_FLAGS := $(shell $(SP_TEST) && $(ECHO) '-fno-stack-protector')
 WORKAROUND_CFLAGS += $(SP_FLAGS)
 endif
 
+# Some widespread patched versions of gcc include -fPIE -Wl,-pie by
+# default.  Note that gcc will exit *successfully* if it fails to
+# recognise an option that starts with "no", so we have to test for
+# output on stderr instead of checking the exit status.
+#
+ifeq ($(CCTYPE),gcc)
+PIE_TEST = [ -z "`$(CC) -fno-PIE -nopie -x c -c /dev/null -o /dev/null 2>&1`" ]
+PIE_FLAGS := $(shell $(PIE_TEST) && $(ECHO) '-fno-PIE -nopie')
+WORKAROUND_CFLAGS += $(PIE_FLAGS)
+endif
+
 # gcc 4.4 generates .eh_frame sections by default, which distort the
 # output of "size".  Inhibit this.
 #