diff --git a/mk/stage1.mk b/mk/stage1.mk
index 883c5e07f54..0bf21d854de 100644
--- a/mk/stage1.mk
+++ b/mk/stage1.mk
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ stage1/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB): $(STDLIB_CRATE) $(STDLIB_INPUTS) \
               stage1/rustc$(X) stage0/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB) stage1/intrinsics.bc \
               stage1/glue.o $(LREQ) $(MKFILES)
 	@$(call E, compile_and_link: $@)
-	$(STAGE1)  --shared -o $@ $<
+	$(STAGE1) --lib -o $@ $<
 
 stage1/lib/glue.o: stage1/rustc$(X) stage0/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB) \
 	stage1/intrinsics.bc $(LREQ) $(MKFILES)
diff --git a/mk/stage2.mk b/mk/stage2.mk
index 12d1cad400f..159933032f9 100644
--- a/mk/stage2.mk
+++ b/mk/stage2.mk
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ stage2/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB): $(STDLIB_CRATE) $(STDLIB_INPUTS) \
               stage2/rustc$(X) stage1/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB) stage2/intrinsics.bc \
               stage2/glue.o $(LREQ) $(MKFILES)
 	@$(call E, compile_and_link: $@)
-	$(STAGE2)  --shared -o $@ $<
+	$(STAGE2)  --lib -o $@ $<
 
 stage2/lib/glue.o: stage2/rustc$(X) stage1/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB) \
 	stage2/intrinsics.bc rustllvm/$(CFG_RUSTLLVM) rt/$(CFG_RUNTIME)
diff --git a/mk/stage3.mk b/mk/stage3.mk
index dfc7eff2190..45843993887 100644
--- a/mk/stage3.mk
+++ b/mk/stage3.mk
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ stage3/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB): $(STDLIB_CRATE) $(STDLIB_INPUTS) \
               stage3/rustc$(X) stage2/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB) stage3/intrinsics.bc \
               stage3/glue.o $(LREQ) $(MKFILES)
 	@$(call E, compile_and_link: $@)
-	$(STAGE3)  --shared -o $@ $<
+	$(STAGE3)  --lib -o $@ $<
 
 stage3/lib/glue.o: stage3/rustc$(X) stage2/lib/$(CFG_STDLIB) \
 	 stage3/intrinsics.bc rustllvm/$(CFG_RUSTLLVM) rt/$(CFG_RUNTIME)
diff --git a/src/comp/back/link.rs b/src/comp/back/link.rs
index 5c9c10ec3bf..b58a0884bf6 100644
--- a/src/comp/back/link.rs
+++ b/src/comp/back/link.rs
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ fn build_link_meta(&session::session sess, &ast::crate c,
     }
 
     fn warn_missing(&session::session sess, str name, str default) {
-        if (!sess.get_opts().shared) { ret; }
+        if (!sess.get_opts().library) { ret; }
         sess.warn(#fmt("missing crate link meta '%s', using '%s' as default",
                        name, default));
     }
diff --git a/src/comp/driver/rustc.rs b/src/comp/driver/rustc.rs
index 992d052839f..15add626a3b 100644
--- a/src/comp/driver/rustc.rs
+++ b/src/comp/driver/rustc.rs
@@ -213,7 +213,8 @@ options:
 
     -o <filename>      write output to <filename>
     --glue             generate glue.bc file
-    --shared           compile a shared-library crate
+    --lib              compile a library crate
+    --static           use or produce static libraries
     --pretty [type]    pretty-print the input instead of compiling
     --ls               list the symbols defined by a crate file
     -L <path>          add a directory to the library search path
@@ -281,7 +282,7 @@ fn build_target_config() -> @session::config {
 
 fn build_session_options(str binary, getopts::match match, str binary_dir) ->
    @session::options {
-    auto shared = opt_present(match, "shared");
+    auto library = opt_present(match, "lib");
     auto library_search_paths = [binary_dir + "/lib"];
     library_search_paths += getopts::opt_strs(match, "L");
     auto output_type =
@@ -330,7 +331,7 @@ fn build_session_options(str binary, getopts::match match, str binary_dir) ->
     auto cfg = parse_cfgspecs(getopts::opt_strs(match, "cfg"));
     auto test = opt_present(match, "test");
     let @session::options sopts =
-        @rec(shared=shared,
+        @rec(library=library,
              optimize=opt_level,
              debuginfo=debuginfo,
              verify=verify,
@@ -369,11 +370,12 @@ fn main(vec[str] args) {
         [optflag("h"), optflag("help"), optflag("v"), optflag("version"),
          optflag("glue"), optflag("emit-llvm"), optflagopt("pretty"),
          optflag("ls"), optflag("parse-only"), optflag("O"),
-         optopt("OptLevel"), optflag("shared"), optmulti("L"), optflag("S"),
+         optopt("OptLevel"), optmulti("L"), optflag("S"),
          optflag("c"), optopt("o"), optflag("g"), optflag("save-temps"),
          optopt("sysroot"), optflag("stats"), optflag("time-passes"),
          optflag("time-llvm-passes"), optflag("no-typestate"),
-         optflag("noverify"), optmulti("cfg"), optflag("test")];
+         optflag("noverify"), optmulti("cfg"), optflag("test"),
+         optflag("lib"), optflag("static")];
     auto binary = vec::shift[str](args);
     auto binary_dir = fs::dirname(binary);
     auto match =
@@ -455,7 +457,7 @@ fn main(vec[str] args) {
             auto temp_filename;
             alt (sopts.output_type) {
                 case (link::output_type_exe) {
-                    // FIXME: what about shared?
+                    // FIXME: what about --lib?
 
                     temp_filename = ofile + ".o";
                 }
@@ -479,13 +481,13 @@ fn main(vec[str] args) {
         let vec[str] gcc_args =
             [stage, "-Lrt", "-lrustrt", glu,  "-m32", "-o",
              saved_out_filename, saved_out_filename + ".o"];
-        auto shared_cmd;
+        auto lib_cmd;
 
         auto os = sess.get_targ_cfg().os;
         if (os == session::os_macos) {
-                shared_cmd = "-dynamiclib";
+                lib_cmd = "-dynamiclib";
         } else {
-                shared_cmd = "-shared";
+                lib_cmd = "-shared";
         }
 
         // Converts a library file name into a gcc -l argument
@@ -527,8 +529,8 @@ fn main(vec[str] args) {
             gcc_args += ["-l" + l];
         }
 
-        if (sopts.shared) {
-            gcc_args += [shared_cmd];
+        if (sopts.library) {
+            gcc_args += [lib_cmd];
         } else {
             // FIXME: why do we hardcode -lm?
             gcc_args += ["-lm", main];
diff --git a/src/comp/driver/session.rs b/src/comp/driver/session.rs
index 7dce5b9b068..a891d2c4b61 100644
--- a/src/comp/driver/session.rs
+++ b/src/comp/driver/session.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ type config =
         ty_mach float_type);
 
 type options =
-    rec(bool shared,
+    rec(bool library,
         uint optimize,
         bool debuginfo,
         bool verify,
diff --git a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
index 487f79d661b..293db34e832 100644
--- a/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
+++ b/src/comp/middle/trans.rs
@@ -8701,7 +8701,7 @@ fn decl_fn_and_pair_full(&@crate_ctxt ccx, &span sp, &vec[str] path, str flav,
         }
     }
     let bool is_main =
-        str::eq(vec::top(path), "main") && !ccx.sess.get_opts().shared;
+        str::eq(vec::top(path), "main") && !ccx.sess.get_opts().library;
     // Declare the function itself.
 
     let str s =
@@ -8745,7 +8745,7 @@ fn register_fn_pair(&@crate_ctxt cx, str ps, TypeRef llfnty, ValueRef llfn,
     // FIXME: We should also hide the unexported pairs in crates.
 
     auto gvar =
-        create_fn_pair(cx, ps, llfnty, llfn, cx.sess.get_opts().shared);
+        create_fn_pair(cx, ps, llfnty, llfn, cx.sess.get_opts().library);
     cx.item_ids.insert(id, llfn);
     cx.item_symbols.insert(id, ps);
     cx.fn_pairs.insert(id, gvar);
@@ -9219,7 +9219,7 @@ fn create_crate_map(&@crate_ctxt ccx) -> ValueRef {
     }
     vec::push[ValueRef](subcrates, C_int(0));
     auto mapname;
-    if (ccx.sess.get_opts().shared) {
+    if (ccx.sess.get_opts().library) {
         mapname = ccx.link_meta.name;
     } else { mapname = "toplevel"; }
     auto sym_name = "_rust_crate_map_" + mapname;
@@ -9235,7 +9235,7 @@ fn create_crate_map(&@crate_ctxt ccx) -> ValueRef {
 }
 
 fn write_metadata(&@trans::crate_ctxt cx, &@ast::crate crate) {
-    if (!cx.sess.get_opts().shared) { ret; }
+    if (!cx.sess.get_opts().library) { ret; }
     auto llmeta = C_postr(metadata::encoder::encode_metadata(cx, crate));
     auto llconst = trans::C_struct([llmeta]);
     auto llglobal =