diff --git a/aclocal.m4 b/aclocal.m4
index e5841ed..2cce559 100644
--- a/aclocal.m4
+++ b/aclocal.m4
@@ -245,7 +245,24 @@ AC_DEFUN(AC_LBL_SHLIBS_INIT,
 		    # or accepts command-line arguments like
 		    # those the GNU linker accepts.
 		    #
-		    V_CCOPT="$V_CCOPT -fpic"
+		    # Some instruction sets require -fPIC on some
+		    # operating systems.  Check for them.  If you
+		    # have a combination that requires it, add it
+		    # here.
+		    #
+		    PIC_OPT=-fpic
+		    case "$host_cpu" in
+
+		    sparc64*)
+			case "$host_os" in
+
+			freebsd*)
+			    PIC_OPT=-fPIC
+			    ;;
+			esac
+			;;
+		    esac
+		    V_CCOPT="$V_CCOPT $PIC_OPT"
 		    V_SONAME_OPT="-Wl,-soname,"
 		    V_RPATH_OPT="-Wl,-rpath,"
 		    ;;
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index b7fd5e9..ed7fb6d 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3231,7 +3231,24 @@ _ACEOF
 		    # or accepts command-line arguments like
 		    # those the GNU linker accepts.
 		    #
-		    V_CCOPT="$V_CCOPT -fpic"
+		    # Some instruction sets require -fPIC on some
+		    # operating systems.  Check for them.  If you
+		    # have a combination that requires it, add it
+		    # here.
+		    #
+		    PIC_OPT=-fpic
+		    case "$host_cpu" in
+
+		    sparc64*)
+			case "$host_os" in
+
+			freebsd*)
+			    PIC_OPT=-fPIC
+			    ;;
+			esac
+			;;
+		    esac
+		    V_CCOPT="$V_CCOPT $PIC_OPT"
 		    V_SONAME_OPT="-Wl,-soname,"
 		    V_RPATH_OPT="-Wl,-rpath,"
 		    ;;