diff --git a/mesonbuild/build.py b/mesonbuild/build.py
index d7f3b66c4..a06979cea 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/build.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/build.py
@@ -819,7 +819,8 @@ class BuildTarget(Target):
     def get_link_dep_subdirs(self):
         result = OrderedSet()
         for i in self.link_targets:
-            result.add(i.get_subdir())
+            if not isinstance(i, StaticLibrary):
+                result.add(i.get_subdir())
             result.update(i.get_link_dep_subdirs())
         return result
 
diff --git a/run_unittests.py b/run_unittests.py
index 820b705b5..aba77d50b 100755
--- a/run_unittests.py
+++ b/run_unittests.py
@@ -7030,6 +7030,13 @@ c = ['{0}']
         windows_proof_rmtree(os.path.join(testdir, 'subprojects', 'foo'))
         os.unlink(wrap_filename)
 
+    def test_no_rpath_for_static(self):
+        testdir = os.path.join(self.common_test_dir, '5 linkstatic')
+        self.init(testdir)
+        self.build()
+        build_rpath = get_rpath(os.path.join(self.builddir, 'prog'))
+        self.assertIsNone(build_rpath)
+
 
 class BaseLinuxCrossTests(BasePlatformTests):
     # Don't pass --libdir when cross-compiling. We have tests that