diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cb2614b0c6..b1de39a090 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ subdir-%:
 	$(call quiet-command,$(MAKE) $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) -C $* V="$(V)" TARGET_DIR="$*/" all,)
 
 $(filter %-softmmu,$(SUBDIR_RULES)): libqemu_common.a
-$(filter %-user,$(SUBDIR_RULES)): libqemu_user.a
-
 
 ROMSUBDIR_RULES=$(patsubst %,romsubdir-%, $(ROMS))
 romsubdir-%:
@@ -74,7 +72,7 @@ block-obj-y +=  $(addprefix block/, $(block-nested-y))
 # CPUs and machines.
 
 obj-y = $(block-obj-y)
-obj-y += readline.o console.o host-utils.o
+obj-y += readline.o console.o
 
 obj-y += irq.o ptimer.o
 obj-y += i2c.o smbus.o smbus_eeprom.o max7310.o max111x.o wm8750.o
@@ -162,12 +160,6 @@ bt-host.o: QEMU_CFLAGS += $(BLUEZ_CFLAGS)
 
 libqemu_common.a: $(obj-y)
 
-#######################################################################
-# user-obj-y is code used by qemu userspace emulation
-user-obj-y = cutils.o cache-utils.o path.o envlist.o host-utils.o
-
-libqemu_user.a: $(user-obj-y)
-
 ######################################################################
 
 qemu-img.o: qemu-img-cmds.h
diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index 0fe8b6ac38..6314e0e78b 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ all: $(PROGS)
 
 #########################################################
 # cpu emulator library
-libobj-y = exec.o translate-all.o cpu-exec.o translate.o
+libobj-y = exec.o translate-all.o cpu-exec.o translate.o host-utils.o
 libobj-y += tcg/tcg.o tcg/tcg-runtime.o
 libobj-$(CONFIG_SOFTFLOAT) += fpu/softfloat.o
 libobj-$(CONFIG_NOSOFTFLOAT) += fpu/softfloat-native.o
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@ ifdef CONFIG_LINUX_USER
 
 VPATH+=:$(SRC_PATH)/linux-user:$(SRC_PATH)/linux-user/$(TARGET_ABI_DIR)
 QEMU_CFLAGS+=-I$(SRC_PATH)/linux-user -I$(SRC_PATH)/linux-user/$(TARGET_ABI_DIR)
-
 obj-y = main.o syscall.o strace.o mmap.o signal.o thunk.o \
       elfload.o linuxload.o uaccess.o gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
+obj-y += envlist.o path.o
 
 obj-$(TARGET_HAS_BFLT) += flatload.o
 obj-$(TARGET_HAS_ELFLOAD32) += elfload32.o
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ obj-arm-y += arm-semi.o
 
 obj-m68k-y += m68k-sim.o m68k-semi.o
 
-ARLIBS=../libqemu_user.a libqemu.a
+ARLIBS=libqemu.a
 endif #CONFIG_LINUX_USER
 
 #########################################################
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ LIBS+=-lmx
 
 obj-y = main.o commpage.o machload.o mmap.o signal.o syscall.o thunk.o \
         gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
+obj-y += envlist.o path.o
 
 obj-i386-y += ioport-user.o
 
@@ -133,13 +134,23 @@ QEMU_CFLAGS+=-I$(SRC_PATH)/bsd-user -I$(SRC_PATH)/bsd-user/$(TARGET_ARCH)
 
 obj-y = main.o bsdload.o elfload.o mmap.o signal.o strace.o syscall.o \
         gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o uaccess.o
+obj-y += envlist.o path.o
 
 obj-i386-y += ioport-user.o
 
-ARLIBS=libqemu.a ../libqemu_user.a
+ARLIBS=libqemu.a
 
 endif #CONFIG_BSD_USER
 
+ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
+# hack to compile with -fpie for *-user targets
+obj-y += cutils-user.o cache-utils-user.o
+cutils-user.c cache-utils-user.c:
+	@echo "  LN	$(TARGET_DIR)$@"
+	@ln -s $(SRC_PATH)/$(@:%-user.c=%.c) $@
+endif
+
+
 #########################################################
 # System emulator target
 ifdef CONFIG_SOFTMMU
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index cb1c29f5be..494e9ced7b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ aix="no"
 blobs="yes"
 pkgversion=""
 check_utests="no"
+user_pie="no"
 
 # OS specific
 if check_define __linux__ ; then
@@ -503,6 +504,10 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --disable-guest-base) guest_base="no"
   ;;
+  --enable-user-pie) user_pie="yes"
+  ;;
+  --disable-user-pie) user_pie="no"
+  ;;
   --enable-uname-release=*) uname_release="$optarg"
   ;;
   --sparc_cpu=*)
@@ -683,6 +688,8 @@ echo "  --disable-bsd-user       disable all BSD usermode emulation targets"
 echo "  --enable-guest-base      enable GUEST_BASE support for usermode"
 echo "                           emulation targets"
 echo "  --disable-guest-base     disable GUEST_BASE support"
+echo "  --enable-user-pie        build usermode emulation targets as PIE"
+echo "  --disable-user-pie       do not build usermode emulation targets as PIE"
 echo "  --fmod-lib               path to FMOD library"
 echo "  --fmod-inc               path to FMOD includes"
 echo "  --oss-lib                path to OSS library"
@@ -1723,6 +1730,7 @@ echo "Documentation     $docs"
 echo "uname -r          $uname_release"
 echo "NPTL support      $nptl"
 echo "GUEST_BASE        $guest_base"
+echo "PIE user targets  $user_pie"
 echo "vde support       $vde"
 echo "IO thread         $io_thread"
 echo "Linux AIO support $linux_aio"
@@ -2355,6 +2363,12 @@ if test "$target_softmmu" = "yes" ; then
   esac
 fi
 
+if test "$target_user_only" = "yes" -a "$static" = "no" -a \
+	"$user_pie" = "yes" ; then
+  cflags="-fpie $cflags"
+  ldflags="-pie $ldflags"
+fi
+
 if test "$target_softmmu" = "yes" -a \( \
         "$TARGET_ARCH" = "microblaze" -o \
         "$TARGET_ARCH" = "cris" \) ; then