diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/uninstalled_static_linker.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/uninstalled_static_linker.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd2e4b0c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/uninstalled_static_linker.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+## More efficient static linking of uninstalled libraries
+
+A somewhat common use case of [[static_library]] is to create uninstalled
+internal convenience libraries which are solely meant to be linked to other
+targets. Some build systems call these "object libraries". Meson's
+implementation does always create a static archive.
+
+This will now check to see if the static linker supports "thin archives"
+(archives which do not contain the actual object code, only references to their
+location on disk) and if so, use them to minimize space usage and speed up
+linking.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index 2e2ff6d1b..a053be621 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -2790,7 +2790,7 @@ https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=47485'''))
             if target.import_filename:
                 commands += linker.gen_import_library_args(self.get_import_filename(target))
         elif isinstance(target, build.StaticLibrary):
-            commands += linker.get_std_link_args()
+            commands += linker.get_std_link_args(not target.should_install())
         else:
             raise RuntimeError('Unknown build target type.')
         return commands
diff --git a/mesonbuild/linkers/linkers.py b/mesonbuild/linkers/linkers.py
index bbd6c4611..9332baa96 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/linkers/linkers.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/linkers/linkers.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class StaticLinker:
     def get_exelist(self) -> T.List[str]:
         return self.exelist.copy()
 
-    def get_std_link_args(self) -> T.List[str]:
+    def get_std_link_args(self, is_thin: bool) -> T.List[str]:
         return []
 
     def get_buildtype_linker_args(self, buildtype: str) -> T.List[str]:
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class ArLikeLinker(StaticLinker):
         # in fact, only the 'ar' id can
         return False
 
-    def get_std_link_args(self) -> T.List[str]:
+    def get_std_link_args(self, is_thin: bool) -> T.List[str]:
         return self.std_args
 
     def get_output_args(self, target: str) -> T.List[str]:
@@ -193,17 +193,28 @@ class ArLinker(ArLikeLinker):
         super().__init__(exelist)
         stdo = mesonlib.Popen_safe(self.exelist + ['-h'])[1]
         # Enable deterministic builds if they are available.
+        stdargs = 'csr'
+        thinargs = ''
         if '[D]' in stdo:
-            self.std_args = ['csrD']
-        else:
-            self.std_args = ['csrD']
+            stdargs += 'D'
+        if '[T]' in stdo:
+            thinargs = 'T'
+        self.std_args = [stdargs]
+        self.std_thin_args = [stdargs + thinargs]
         self.can_rsp = '@<' in stdo
 
     def can_linker_accept_rsp(self) -> bool:
         return self.can_rsp
 
+    def get_std_link_args(self, is_thin: bool) -> T.List[str]:
+        # FIXME: osx ld rejects this: "file built for unknown-unsupported file format"
+        if is_thin and not mesonlib.is_osx():
+            return self.std_thin_args
+        else:
+            return self.std_args
+
 
-class ArmarLinker(ArLikeLinker):  # lgtm [py/missing-call-to-init]
+class ArmarLinker(ArLikeLinker):
     id = 'armar'
 
 
@@ -214,7 +225,7 @@ class DLinker(StaticLinker):
         self.arch = arch
         self.__rsp_syntax = rsp_syntax
 
-    def get_std_link_args(self) -> T.List[str]:
+    def get_std_link_args(self, is_thin: bool) -> T.List[str]:
         return ['-lib']
 
     def get_output_args(self, target: str) -> T.List[str]:
@@ -1114,7 +1125,7 @@ class PGIStaticLinker(StaticLinker):
         self.id = 'ar'
         self.std_args = ['-r']
 
-    def get_std_link_args(self) -> T.List[str]:
+    def get_std_link_args(self, is_thin: bool) -> T.List[str]:
         return self.std_args
 
     def get_output_args(self, target: str) -> T.List[str]:
diff --git a/unittests/allplatformstests.py b/unittests/allplatformstests.py
index 707fc1d07..9468fd544 100644
--- a/unittests/allplatformstests.py
+++ b/unittests/allplatformstests.py
@@ -1447,7 +1447,7 @@ class AllPlatformTests(BasePlatformTests):
             link_cmd = ['ar', 'csr', outfile, objectfile]
         link_cmd = linker.get_exelist()
         link_cmd += linker.get_always_args()
-        link_cmd += linker.get_std_link_args()
+        link_cmd += linker.get_std_link_args(False)
         link_cmd += linker.get_output_args(outfile)
         link_cmd += [objectfile]
         self.pbcompile(compiler, source, objectfile, extra_args=extra_args)