diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 051e11682..9d5177d17 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -184,12 +184,22 @@ else
 endif
 
 # GSL (GNU Scientific Library)
-LDFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --libs gsl)
 CXXFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --cflags gsl)
-# GSL option 1: Use pkg-config or gsl-config to find GSL
-#
-# GSL option 2: Use default search paths to find GSL
-# LDFLAGS += -lgsl -lgslcblas -lm
+
+ifeq ($(STATICGSL),)
+	# default to dynamic linking
+	STATICGSL := OFF
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(STATICGSL),ON)
+	gsllibdir := $(shell pkg-config --variable=libdir gsl)
+	gsl_objects = $(gsllibdir)/libgsl.a $(gsllibdir)/libgslcblas.a
+	BUILD_DIR := $(BUILD_DIR)_staticgsl
+else ifeq ($(STATICGSL),OFF)
+	LDFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --libs gsl)
+else
+    $(error bad value for STATICGSL option. Should be ON or OFF)
+endif
 
 # Use GSL inline functions
 CXXFLAGS += -DHAVE_INLINE -DGSL_C99_INLINE
@@ -288,21 +298,21 @@ check: $(sn3d_files)
 	run-clang-tidy $(sn3d_files)
 
 $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3d: $(sn3d_objects)
-	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(sn3d_objects) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3d
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(sn3d_objects) $(gsl_objects) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3d
 -include $(sn3d_dep)
 
 sn3d: $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3d
 	ln -sf $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3d sn3d
 
 $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3dwhole: $(sn3d_files) version.h artisoptions.h Makefile $(BUILD_DIR)/compiler.txt
-	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -g $(sn3d_files) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3dwhole
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -g $(sn3d_files) $(gsl_objects) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3dwhole
 -include $(sn3d_dep)
 
 sn3dwhole: $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3dwhole
 	ln -sf $(BUILD_DIR)/sn3dwhole sn3d
 
 $(BUILD_DIR)/exspec: $(exspec_objects)
-	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(exspec_objects) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/exspec
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(exspec_objects) $(gsl_objects) $(LDFLAGS) -o $(BUILD_DIR)/exspec
 -include $(exspec_dep)
 
 exspec: $(BUILD_DIR)/exspec