--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@ CC := $(CROSS)gcc
 AR := $(CROSS)ar
 RANLIB := $(CROSS)ranlib
 
+ifeq ($(STATIC),1)
+ define static_link
+  -Wl,-Bstatic $(1) -Wl,-Bdynamic
+ endef
+else
+ define static_link
+  $(1)
+ endef
+endif
+
 # Stolen from Linux build system
 comma = ,
 try-run = $(shell set -e; ($(1)) >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "$(2)" || echo "$(3)")
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@ obj-mkfs.jffs2 = compr_rtime.o compr_zli
 	compr_lzma.o lzma/LzFind.o lzma/LzmaEnc.o lzma/LzmaDec.o \
 	compr.o rbtree.o
 LDFLAGS_mkfs.jffs2 = $(ZLIBLDFLAGS) $(LZOLDFLAGS)
-LDLIBS_mkfs.jffs2  = -lz $(LZOLDLIBS)
+LDLIBS_mkfs.jffs2  = $(call static_link,-lz $(LZOLDLIBS))
 
 LDFLAGS_jffs2reader = $(ZLIBLDFLAGS) $(LZOLDFLAGS)
-LDLIBS_jffs2reader  = -lz $(LZOLDLIBS)
+LDLIBS_jffs2reader  = $(call static_link,-lz $(LZOLDLIBS))
 
 $(foreach v,$(MTD_BINS),$(eval $(call mkdep,,$(v))))
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ else
   XZLDLIBS = -llzma
 endif
 
-LDLIBS_mkfs.ubifs = -lz $(LZOLDLIBS) $(XZLDLIBS) -lm -luuid
+LDLIBS_mkfs.ubifs = $(call static_link,-lz $(LZOLDLIBS) $(XZLDLIBS)) -lm $(call static_link,-luuid)
 $(call mkdep,mkfs.ubifs/,mkfs.ubifs,,ubi-utils/libubi.a)
 
 #
