diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0c426ca5bc..bfaaa3eee4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ factor-console: $(DLL_OBJS) $(EXE_OBJS)
 		$(CFLAGS) $(CFLAGS_CONSOLE) -o factor$(EXE_SUFFIX)$(CONSOLE_EXTENSION) $(EXE_OBJS)
 
 factor-ffi-test: $(TEST_OBJS)
-	$(CC) $(LIBPATH) $(CFLAGS) $(SHARED_FLAG) -o libfactor-ffi-test$(DLL_EXTENSION) $(TEST_OBJS)
+	$(CC) $(LIBPATH) $(CFLAGS) $(FFI_TEST_CFLAGS) $(SHARED_FLAG) -o libfactor-ffi-test$(DLL_EXTENSION) $(TEST_OBJS)
 
 clean:
 	rm -f vm/*.o
diff --git a/basis/alien/fortran/fortran.factor b/basis/alien/fortran/fortran.factor
index 83d56bf9e2..71efa1aa24 100644
--- a/basis/alien/fortran/fortran.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/fortran/fortran.factor
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ byte-arrays combinators combinators.short-circuit fry generalizations
 kernel lexer macros math math.parser namespaces parser sequences
 splitting stack-checker vectors vocabs.parser words locals
 io.encodings.ascii io.encodings.string shuffle effects math.ranges
-math.order sorting strings system ;
+math.order sorting strings system alien.libraries ;
 IN: alien.fortran
 
 SINGLETONS: f2c-abi gfortran-abi intel-unix-abi intel-windows-abi ;
diff --git a/basis/compiler/tests/alien.factor b/basis/compiler/tests/alien.factor
index 2aed251676..aa9346f788 100644
--- a/basis/compiler/tests/alien.factor
+++ b/basis/compiler/tests/alien.factor
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ namespaces namespaces tools.test sequences stack-checker
 stack-checker.errors words arrays parser quotations
 continuations effects namespaces.private io io.streams.string
 memory system threads tools.test math accessors combinators
-specialized-arrays.float ;
+specialized-arrays.float alien.libraries ;
 
 <<
 : libfactor-ffi-tests-path ( -- string )
diff --git a/basis/math/blas/ffi/ffi.factor b/basis/math/blas/ffi/ffi.factor
index 1749103ce4..5466ad2161 100644
--- a/basis/math/blas/ffi/ffi.factor
+++ b/basis/math/blas/ffi/ffi.factor
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-USING: alien alien.fortran kernel system combinators ;
+USING: alien alien.fortran kernel system combinators
+alien.libraries ;
 IN: math.blas.ffi
 
 <<
diff --git a/basis/pango/cairo/cairo.factor b/basis/pango/cairo/cairo.factor
index 7683b78890..45b7a9cb31 100644
--- a/basis/pango/cairo/cairo.factor
+++ b/basis/pango/cairo/cairo.factor
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 !
 ! pangocairo bindings, from pango/pangocairo.h
-USING: alien alien.syntax combinators system cairo.ffi ;
+USING: alien alien.syntax combinators system cairo.ffi
+alien.libraries ;
 IN: pango.cairo
 
 << {
@@ -85,4 +86,4 @@ FUNCTION: void
 pango_cairo_layout_path ( cairo_t* cr, PangoLayout* layout ) ;
 
 FUNCTION: void
-pango_cairo_error_underline_path ( cairo_t* cr, double x, double y, double width, double height ) ;
\ No newline at end of file
+pango_cairo_error_underline_path ( cairo_t* cr, double x, double y, double width, double height ) ;
diff --git a/core/alien/alien-docs.factor b/core/alien/alien-docs.factor
index 398d04e4dd..6bd1d2f53a 100644
--- a/core/alien/alien-docs.factor
+++ b/core/alien/alien-docs.factor
@@ -266,7 +266,6 @@ $nl
 { $warning "C does not perform runtime type checking, automatic memory management or array bounds checks. Incorrect usage of C library functions can lead to crashes, data corruption, and security exploits." }
 { $subsection "loading-libs" }
 { $subsection "aliens" }
-{ $subsection "alien.libraries" }
 { $subsection "alien-invoke" }
 { $subsection "alien-callback" }
 { $subsection "c-data" }
diff --git a/vm/Config.linux.x86.64 b/vm/Config.linux.x86.64
index bfd1222496..a02fcb4d6d 100644
--- a/vm/Config.linux.x86.64
+++ b/vm/Config.linux.x86.64
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 include vm/Config.linux
 include vm/Config.x86.64
 LIBPATH = -L/usr/X11R6/lib64 -L/usr/X11R6/lib
+FFI_TEST_CFLAGS = -fPIC