diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index b12db9dae..6089ef2ac 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -9,9 +9,12 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS(getopt.h)
 AC_PROG_INSTALL
 AC_CHECK_LIB(dl,main,[DLLIB=-ldl])
 AC_SUBST(DLLIB)
+AC_CANONICAL_HOST
+$host
 
 #######################
-## test for underscores
+## test for underscores. The vpi module loader in vvm needs to know this
+## in order to know the name of the start symbol for the .vpi module.
 #######################
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING("for leading and/or trailing underscores")
@@ -50,4 +53,26 @@ AC_MSG_RESULT("$CC_LEADING_UNDERSCORE $CC_TRAILING_UNDERSCORE")
 ## end of test for underscores
 #######################
 
+# The -rdynamic flag is used by iverilog when compiling the target,
+# to know how to export symbols of the main program to loadable modules
+# that are brought in by -ldl
+AC_MSG_CHECKING("for -rdynamic compiler flag")
+
+rdynamic=-rdynamic
+case "${host}" in
+
+    *-*-netbsd*)
+	rdynamic="-Wl,--export-dynamic"
+	;;
+
+    *-*-solaris*)
+	rdynamic=""
+	;;
+
+esac
+
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(RDYNAMIC,"${rdynamic}")
+
+AC_MSG_RESULT("$RDYNAMIC")
+
 AC_OUTPUT(Makefile vpi/Makefile ivlpp/Makefile vvm/Makefile)
diff --git a/iverilog.c b/iverilog.c
index 8af16aa80..58c92cdf0 100644
--- a/iverilog.c
+++ b/iverilog.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  *    Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA
  */
 #if !defined(WINNT)
-#ident "$Id: iverilog.c,v 1.15 2000/05/17 03:53:29 steve Exp $"
+#ident "$Id: iverilog.c,v 1.16 2000/06/16 19:00:06 steve Exp $"
 #endif
 
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@
 # define IVL_ROOT "."
 #endif
 
+#ifndef RDYNAMIC
+# define RDYNAMIC "-rdynamic"
+#endif
+
 const char*base = IVL_ROOT;
 const char*opath = "a.out";
 const char*targ  = "vvm";
@@ -140,7 +144,7 @@ static int t_vvm(char*cmd, unsigned ncmd)
 	    return rc;
       }
 
-      sprintf(tmp, "%s -O -rdynamic -fno-exceptions -o %s -I%s "
+      sprintf(tmp, "%s -O " RDYNAMIC " -fno-exceptions -o %s -I%s "
 	      "-L%s %s.cc -lvvm %s", CXX, opath, IVL_INC, IVL_LIB,
 	      opath, DLLIB);
 
@@ -376,6 +380,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 /*
  * $Log: iverilog.c,v $
+ * Revision 1.16  2000/06/16 19:00:06  steve
+ *  Detect some hosts that do not support -rdynamic.
+ *
  * Revision 1.15  2000/05/17 03:53:29  steve
  *  Add the module option to iverilog.
  *