diff --git a/build/docs/defining-binaries.rst b/build/docs/defining-binaries.rst
index bbbbdac46279..e04253aa16bc 100644
--- a/build/docs/defining-binaries.rst
+++ b/build/docs/defining-binaries.rst
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ Note that currently, the build system may not create an actual library for
 static libraries. It is an implementation detail that shouldn't need to be
 worried about.
 
+As a special rule, USE_LIBS is allowed to contain references to shared
+libraries. In such cases, programs and shared libraries linking this static
+library will inherit those shared library dependencies.
+
 
 Intermediate (Static) Libraries
 ===============================
diff --git a/config/rules.mk b/config/rules.mk
index db04e859fc4f..e16a6ac5d26c 100644
--- a/config/rules.mk
+++ b/config/rules.mk
@@ -136,12 +136,17 @@ endif # ENABLE_TESTS
 
 ifndef LIBRARY
 ifdef REAL_LIBRARY
+# Don't build actual static library if a shared library is also built
+ifdef FORCE_SHARED_LIB
+LIBRARY			:= $(REAL_LIBRARY).$(LIBS_DESC_SUFFIX)
+else
 # Only build actual library if it is installed in DIST/lib or SDK
 ifeq (,$(SDK_LIBRARY)$(DIST_INSTALL)$(NO_EXPAND_LIBS))
 LIBRARY			:= $(REAL_LIBRARY).$(LIBS_DESC_SUFFIX)
 else
 LIBRARY			:= $(REAL_LIBRARY) $(REAL_LIBRARY).$(LIBS_DESC_SUFFIX)
 endif
+endif
 endif # REAL_LIBRARY
 endif # LIBRARY
 
diff --git a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/backend/recursivemake.py b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/backend/recursivemake.py
index 31d7cfb29f25..250370ac1ae6 100644
--- a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/backend/recursivemake.py
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/backend/recursivemake.py
@@ -1145,20 +1145,33 @@ class RecursiveMakeBackend(CommonBackend):
         backend_file.write('HOST_LIBRARY_NAME = %s\n' % libdef.basename)
 
     def _process_linked_libraries(self, obj, backend_file):
-        topobjdir = mozpath.normsep(obj.topobjdir)
-        for lib in obj.linked_libraries:
+        def recurse_lib(lib):
+            for l in lib.linked_libraries:
+                if isinstance(l, StaticLibrary):
+                    for q in recurse_lib(l):
+                        yield q
+                else:
+                    yield l
+
+        def pretty_relpath(lib):
             # If this is an external objdir (i.e., comm-central), use the other
             # directory instead of $(DEPTH).
             if lib.objdir.startswith(topobjdir + '/'):
-                relpath = '$(DEPTH)/%s' % mozpath.relpath(lib.objdir, topobjdir)
+                return '$(DEPTH)/%s' % mozpath.relpath(lib.objdir, topobjdir)
             else:
-                relpath = mozpath.relpath(lib.objdir, obj.objdir)
+                return mozpath.relpath(lib.objdir, obj.objdir)
+
+        topobjdir = mozpath.normsep(obj.topobjdir)
+        for lib in obj.linked_libraries:
+            relpath = pretty_relpath(lib)
             if isinstance(obj, Library):
                 if isinstance(lib, StaticLibrary):
                     backend_file.write_once('SHARED_LIBRARY_LIBS += %s/%s\n'
                                        % (relpath, lib.lib_name))
-                else:
-                    assert isinstance(obj, SharedLibrary)
+                    for l in recurse_lib(lib):
+                        backend_file.write_once('EXTRA_DSO_LDOPTS += %s/%s\n'
+                                        % (pretty_relpath(l), l.import_name))
+                elif isinstance(obj, SharedLibrary):
                     assert lib.variant != lib.COMPONENT
                     backend_file.write_once('EXTRA_DSO_LDOPTS += %s/%s\n'
                                        % (relpath, lib.import_name))
@@ -1166,6 +1179,13 @@ class RecursiveMakeBackend(CommonBackend):
                 if isinstance(lib, StaticLibrary):
                     backend_file.write_once('LIBS += %s/%s\n'
                                        % (relpath, lib.lib_name))
+                    for l in recurse_lib(lib):
+                        backend_file.write_once('LIBS += %s/%s\n'
+                                        % (pretty_relpath(l), l.import_name))
+                elif isinstance(obj, SharedLibrary):
+                    assert lib.variant != lib.COMPONENT
+                    backend_file.write_once('EXTRA_DSO_LDOPTS += %s/%s\n'
+                                       % (relpath, lib.import_name))
                 else:
                     assert lib.variant != lib.COMPONENT
                     backend_file.write_once('LIBS += %s/%s\n'
diff --git a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/frontend/data.py b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/frontend/data.py
index b8d09e066631..8cb50411c534 100644
--- a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/frontend/data.py
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/frontend/data.py
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ class Linkable(SandboxDerived):
         if obj.KIND != self.KIND:
             raise LinkageWrongKindError('%s != %s' % (obj.KIND, self.KIND))
         self.linked_libraries.append(obj)
-        obj.refcount += 1
+        obj.refs.append(self)
 
 
 class BaseProgram(Linkable):
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ class BaseLibrary(Linkable):
         'basename',
         'lib_name',
         'import_name',
-        'refcount',
+        'refs',
     )
 
     def __init__(self, sandbox, basename):
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ class BaseLibrary(Linkable):
             )
             self.import_name = self.lib_name
 
-        self.refcount = 0
+        self.refs = []
 
 
 class Library(BaseLibrary):
diff --git a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/frontend/emitter.py b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/frontend/emitter.py
index 9da7e7a16ac0..0cafcf3e0933 100644
--- a/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/frontend/emitter.py
+++ b/python/mozbuild/mozbuild/frontend/emitter.py
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ class TreeMetadataEmitter(LoggingMixin):
         self._libs = OrderedDefaultDict(list)
         self._binaries = OrderedDict()
         self._linkage = []
+        self._static_linking_shared = set()
 
     def emit(self, output):
         """Convert the BuildReader output into data structures.
@@ -139,22 +140,56 @@ class TreeMetadataEmitter(LoggingMixin):
         yield ReaderSummary(file_count, sandbox_execution_time, emitter_time)
 
     def _emit_libs_derived(self, sandboxes):
-        for sandbox, obj, variable in self._linkage:
-            self._link_libraries(sandbox, obj, variable)
-
+        # First do FINAL_LIBRARY linkage.
         for lib in (l for libs in self._libs.values() for l in libs):
             if not isinstance(lib, StaticLibrary) or not lib.link_into:
                 continue
             if lib.link_into not in self._libs:
-                raise Exception('FINAL_LIBRARY in %s (%s) does not match any '
-                                'LIBRARY_NAME' % (lib.objdir, lib.link_info))
+                raise SandboxValidationError(
+                    'FINAL_LIBRARY ("%s") does not match any LIBRARY_NAME'
+                    % lib.link_into, sandboxes[lib.objdir])
             candidates = self._libs[lib.link_into]
-            if len(candidates) > 1:
-                raise Exception('FINAL_LIBRARY in %s (%s) matches a '
-                                'LIBRARY_NAME defined in multiple places (%s)' %
-                                (lib.objdir, lib.link_into,
-                                 ', '.join(l.objdir for l in candidates)))
-            candidates[0].link_library(lib)
+
+            # When there are multiple candidates, but all are in the same
+            # directory and have a different type, we want all of them to
+            # have the library linked. The typical usecase is when building
+            # both a static and a shared library in a directory, and having
+            # that as a FINAL_LIBRARY.
+            if len(set(type(l) for l in candidates)) == len(candidates) and \
+                   len(set(l.objdir for l in candidates)) == 1:
+                for c in candidates:
+                    c.link_library(lib)
+            else:
+                raise SandboxValidationError(
+                    'FINAL_LIBRARY ("%s") matches a LIBRARY_NAME defined in '
+                    'multiple places:\n    %s' % (lib.link_into,
+                    '\n    '.join(l.objdir for l in candidates)),
+                    sandboxes[lib.objdir])
+
+        # Next, USE_LIBS linkage.
+        for sandbox, obj, variable in self._linkage:
+            self._link_libraries(sandbox, obj, variable)
+
+        def recurse_refs(lib):
+            for o in lib.refs:
+                yield o
+                if isinstance(o, StaticLibrary):
+                    for q in recurse_refs(o):
+                        yield q
+
+        # Check that all static libraries refering shared libraries in
+        # USE_LIBS are linked into a shared library or program.
+        for lib in self._static_linking_shared:
+            if all(isinstance(o, StaticLibrary) for o in recurse_refs(lib)):
+                shared_libs = sorted(l.basename for l in lib.linked_libraries
+                    if isinstance(l, SharedLibrary))
+                raise SandboxValidationError(
+                    'The static "%s" library is not used in a shared library '
+                    'or a program, but USE_LIBS contains the following shared '
+                    'library names:\n    %s\n\nMaybe you can remove the '
+                    'static "%s" library?' % (lib.basename,
+                    '\n    '.join(shared_libs), lib.basename),
+                    sandboxes[lib.objdir])
 
         def recurse_libs(lib):
             for obj in lib.linked_libraries:
@@ -164,6 +199,7 @@ class TreeMetadataEmitter(LoggingMixin):
                 for q in recurse_libs(obj):
                     yield q
 
+        sent_passthru = set()
         for lib in (l for libs in self._libs.values() for l in libs):
             # For all root libraries (i.e. libraries that don't have a
             # FINAL_LIBRARY), record, for each static library it links
@@ -171,6 +207,9 @@ class TreeMetadataEmitter(LoggingMixin):
             if isinstance(lib, Library):
                 if isinstance(lib, SharedLibrary) or not lib.link_into:
                     for p in recurse_libs(lib):
+                        if p in sent_passthru:
+                            continue
+                        sent_passthru.add(p)
                         passthru = VariablePassthru(sandboxes[p])
                         passthru.variables['FINAL_LIBRARY'] = lib.basename
                         yield passthru
@@ -261,13 +300,7 @@ class TreeMetadataEmitter(LoggingMixin):
 
             elif isinstance(obj, StaticLibrary) and isinstance(candidates[0],
                     SharedLibrary):
-                raise SandboxValidationError(
-                        '%s contains "%s", but there is only a shared "%s" '
-                        'in %s, and "%s" is built static. You may want to '
-                        'add FORCE_STATIC_LIB=True in %s/moz.build, or remove '
-                        '"%s" from USE_LIBS.' % (variable, path, name,
-                        candidates[0].relobjdir, obj.basename,
-                        candidates[0].relobjdir, path), sandbox)
+                self._static_linking_shared.add(obj)
             obj.link_library(candidates[0])
 
     def emit_from_sandbox(self, sandbox):
@@ -559,10 +592,6 @@ class TreeMetadataEmitter(LoggingMixin):
                     raise SandboxValidationError(
                         'IS_FRAMEWORK implies FORCE_SHARED_LIB. '
                         'Please remove the latter.', sandbox)
-                if static_lib:
-                    raise SandboxValidationError(
-                        'IS_FRAMEWORK conflicts with FORCE_STATIC_LIB. '
-                        'Please remove one.', sandbox)
                 if soname:
                     raise SandboxValidationError(
                         'IS_FRAMEWORK conflicts with SONAME. '