--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ AC_SUBST([STRACE_MANPAGE_DATE], [strace_manpage_date])
 AC_DEFINE([SLM_MANPAGE_DATE], "[slm_manpage_date]", [Date])
 AC_SUBST([SLM_MANPAGE_DATE], [slm_manpage_date])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([static],
+	      [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-static],
+			      [link strace statically])],
+	      [], [enable_static=no])
+if test "$enable_static" = "yes"; then
+	# Add -pthread since strace wants -lrt for timer_create, and -lrt uses -lpthread.
+	LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -pthread -static"
+fi
+
 AC_C_BIGENDIAN
 
 dnl arch-specific default for --enable-gcc-Werror
--- a/m4/st_libdw.m4
+++ b/m4/st_libdw.m4
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 AC_DEFUN([st_ARG_LIBDW], [dnl
 
 : ${libdw_CPPFLAGS=}
-: ${libdw_CFLAGS=}
 : ${libdw_LDFLAGS=}
 : ${libdw_LIBS=}
 
@@ -34,48 +33,14 @@ AC_DEFUN([st_LIBDW], [dnl
 have_libdw=
 
 AS_IF([test "x$with_libdw" != xno && test "x$use_unwinder" = x],
-      [saved_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
-       saved_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
-       CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $libdw_CPPFLAGS"
-       CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $libdw_CFLAGS"
-
-       AC_CHECK_HEADERS([elfutils/libdwfl.h],
-			[AC_CHECK_LIB([dw], [dwfl_linux_proc_attach],
-				      [libdw_LIBS="-ldw $libdw_LIBS"
-				       AC_CACHE_CHECK([for elfutils version],
-						      [st_cv_ELFUTILS_VERSION],
-						      [[st_cv_ELFUTILS_VERSION="$(echo _ELFUTILS_VERSION |
-										  $CPP $CPPFLAGS -P -imacros elfutils/version.h - |
-										  grep '^[0-9]')"
-							test -n "$st_cv_ELFUTILS_VERSION" ||
-								st_cv_ELFUTILS_VERSION=0
-						      ]]
-						     )
-				       AS_IF([test "$st_cv_ELFUTILS_VERSION" -ge 164],
-					     [have_libdw=yes],
-					     [AS_IF([test "x$with_libdw" = xyes],
-						    [AC_MSG_ERROR([elfutils version >= 164 is required for stack tracing support])],
-						    [AC_MSG_WARN([elfutils version >= 164 is required for stack tracing support])]
-						   )
-					     ]
-					    )
-				      ],
-				      [AS_IF([test "x$with_libdw" = xyes],
-					     [AC_MSG_FAILURE([failed to find dwfl_linux_proc_attach in libdw])],
-					    )
-				      ],
-				      [$libdw_LDFLAGS $libdw_LIBS]
-				     )
-			],
-			[AS_IF([test "x$with_libdw" = xyes],
-			       [AC_MSG_FAILURE([failed to find elfutils/libdwfl.h])]
-			      )
-			]
-		       )
-
-       CFLAGS="$saved_CFLAGS"
-       CPPFLAGS="$saved_CPPFLAGS"
-      ]
+      [if test "$enable_static" = "yes"; then
+           PKG_CHECK_MODULES_STATIC([LIBDW], [libdw >= 0.164])
+       else
+           PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBDW], [libdw >= 0.164])
+       fi
+       have_libdw=yes
+       libdw_CPPFLAGS="$LIBDW_CFLAGS"
+       libdw_LIBS="$LIBDW_LIBS"]
 )
 
 AS_IF([test "x$have_libdw" = xyes],
@@ -84,7 +49,6 @@ AS_IF([test "x$have_libdw" = xyes],
 		 [Whether to use libdw for stack tracing]
 		)
        AC_SUBST(libdw_CPPFLAGS)
-       AC_SUBST(libdw_CFLAGS)
        AC_SUBST(libdw_LDFLAGS)
        AC_SUBST(libdw_LIBS)
       ]
--- a/m4/st_libunwind.m4
+++ b/m4/st_libunwind.m4
@@ -28,64 +28,14 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([libunwind],
 AC_DEFUN([st_LIBUNWIND], [dnl
 
 AS_IF([test "x$with_libunwind" != xno && test "x$use_unwinder" = x],
-      [saved_CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS"
-       CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS $libunwind_CPPFLAGS"
-
-       AC_CHECK_HEADERS([libunwind-ptrace.h],
-	 [saved_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
-	  LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS $libunwind_LDFLAGS"
-
-	  AC_CHECK_LIB([unwind], [backtrace],
-	    [libunwind_LIBS="-lunwind $libunwind_LIBS"
-
-	     AC_MSG_CHECKING([for unw_create_addr_space in libunwind-generic])
-	     saved_LIBS="$LIBS"
-	     LIBS="-lunwind-generic $libunwind_LIBS $LIBS"
-
-	     AC_LINK_IFELSE(
-	       [AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[#include <libunwind-ptrace.h>]],
-				[[return !unw_create_addr_space(0, 0)]])
-	       ],
-	       [AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
-		libunwind_LIBS="-lunwind-generic $libunwind_LIBS"
-
-		AC_CHECK_LIB([unwind-ptrace], [_UPT_create],
-		  [libunwind_LIBS="-lunwind-ptrace $libunwind_LIBS"
-		   use_unwinder=libunwind
-		  ],
-		  [if test "x$with_libunwind" != xcheck; then
-		     AC_MSG_FAILURE([failed to find _UPT_create in libunwind-ptrace])
-		   fi
-		  ],
-		  [$libunwind_LIBS]
-		)
-	       ],
-	       [AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
-		if test "x$with_libunwind" != xcheck; then
-		  AC_MSG_FAILURE([failed to find unw_create_addr_space in libunwind-generic])
-		fi
-	       ]
-	     )
-
-	     LIBS="$saved_LIBS"
-	    ],
-	    [if test "x$with_libunwind" != xcheck; then
-	       AC_MSG_FAILURE([failed to find libunwind])
-	     fi
-	    ],
-	    [$libunwind_LIBS]
-	  )
-
-	  LDFLAGS="$saved_LDFLAGS"
-	 ],
-	 [if test "x$with_libunwind" != xcheck; then
-	    AC_MSG_FAILURE([failed to find libunwind-ptrace.h])
-	  fi
-	 ]
-       )
-
-       CPPFLAGS="$saved_CPPFLAGS"
-      ]
+      [if test "$enable_static" = "yes"; then
+           PKG_CHECK_MODULES_STATIC([LIBUNWIND], [libunwind libunwind-generic libunwind-ptrace])
+       else
+           PKG_CHECK_MODULES([LIBUNWIND], [libunwind libunwind-generic libunwind-ptrace])
+       fi
+       use_unwinder="libunwind"
+       libunwind_CPPFLAGS="$LIBUNWIND_CFLAGS"
+       libunwind_LIBS="$LIBUNWIND_LIBS"]
 )
 
 if test "x$use_unwinder" = xlibunwind; then
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -417,7 +417,6 @@ libstrace_a_SOURCES += unwind.c unwind.h
 if USE_LIBDW
 libstrace_a_SOURCES += unwind-libdw.c
 strace_CPPFLAGS += $(libdw_CPPFLAGS)
-strace_CFLAGS += $(libdw_CFLAGS)
 strace_LDFLAGS += $(libdw_LDFLAGS)
 strace_LDADD += $(libdw_LIBS)
 endif