diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
index d5af05696..16f7adab4 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/backends.py
@@ -341,6 +341,8 @@ class Backend():
             commands += compiler.get_werror_args()
         if isinstance(target, build.SharedLibrary):
             commands += compiler.get_pic_args()
+        if isinstance(target, build.StaticLibrary) and target.pic:
+            commands += compiler.get_pic_args()
         for dep in target.get_external_deps():
             # Cflags required by external deps might have UNIX-specific flags,
             # so filter them out if needed
diff --git a/mesonbuild/build.py b/mesonbuild/build.py
index 1ef183b2f..a532509f0 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/build.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/build.py
@@ -44,12 +44,19 @@ known_basic_kwargs = {'install' : True,
                       'native' : True,
                      }
 
-known_shlib_kwargs = known_basic_kwargs.copy()
-known_shlib_kwargs.update({'version' : True,
-                           'soversion' : True,
-                           'name_prefix' : True,
-                           'name_suffix' : True,
-                           'vs_module_defs' : True})
+# These contain kwargs supported by both static and shared libraries. These are
+# combined here because a library() call might be shared_library() or
+# static_library() at runtime based on the configuration.
+# FIXME: Find a way to pass that info down here so we can have proper target
+# kwargs checking when specifically using shared_library() or static_library().
+known_lib_kwargs = known_basic_kwargs.copy()
+known_lib_kwargs.update({'version' : True, # Only for shared libs
+                         'soversion' : True, # Only for shared libs
+                         'name_prefix' : True,
+                         'name_suffix' : True,
+                         'vs_module_defs' : True, # Only for shared libs
+                         'pic' : True, # Only for static libs
+                        })
 
 def compilers_are_msvc(compilers):
     """
@@ -516,6 +523,10 @@ class BuildTarget():
                 if not isinstance(name_suffix, str):
                     raise InvalidArguments('Name suffix must be a string.')
                 self.suffix = name_suffix
+        if isinstance(self, StaticLibrary):
+            self.pic = kwargs.get('pic', False)
+            if not isinstance(self.pic, bool):
+                raise InvalidArguments('Argument pic must be boolean')
 
     def get_subdir(self):
         return self.subdir
@@ -831,6 +842,9 @@ class StaticLibrary(BuildTarget):
     def type_suffix(self):
         return "@sta"
 
+    def check_unknown_kwargs(self, kwargs):
+        self.check_unknown_kwargs_int(kwargs, known_lib_kwargs)
+
 class SharedLibrary(BuildTarget):
     def __init__(self, name, subdir, subproject, is_cross, sources, objects, environment, kwargs):
         self.soversion = None
@@ -988,7 +1002,7 @@ class SharedLibrary(BuildTarget):
             self.link_depends.append(path)
 
     def check_unknown_kwargs(self, kwargs):
-        self.check_unknown_kwargs_int(kwargs, known_shlib_kwargs)
+        self.check_unknown_kwargs_int(kwargs, known_lib_kwargs)
 
     def get_import_filename(self):
         """
diff --git a/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/meson.build b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/meson.build
index 3c753910a..8631e68f1 100644
--- a/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/meson.build	
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 project('statchain', 'c')
 
 subdir('subdir')
-statlib = static_library('stat', 'stat.c', link_with : shlib)
-exe = executable('prog', 'prog.c', link_with : statlib)
+statlib = static_library('stat', 'stat.c', link_with : shlib, pic : true)
+shlib2 = shared_library('shr2', 'shlib2.c', link_with : statlib)
+exe = executable('prog', 'prog.c', link_with : shlib2)
 test('runtest', exe)
diff --git a/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/prog.c b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/prog.c
index 4f82a6b16..26603b694 100644
--- a/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/prog.c	
+++ b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/prog.c	
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
+int shlibfunc2();
 int statlibfunc();
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
-    return statlibfunc() == 42 ? 0 : 1;
+    if (statlibfunc() != 42)
+        return 1;
+    if (shlibfunc2() != 24)
+        return 1;
+    return 0;
 }
diff --git a/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/shlib2.c b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/shlib2.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e26d11c73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/shlib2.c	
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#include "subdir/exports.h"
+
+int statlibfunc(void);
+
+int DLL_PUBLIC shlibfunc2(void) {
+    return statlibfunc() - 18;
+}
diff --git a/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/subdir/exports.h b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/subdir/exports.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c89ccb23b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/subdir/exports.h	
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#if defined _WIN32 || defined __CYGWIN__
+  #define DLL_PUBLIC __declspec(dllexport)
+#else
+  #if defined __GNUC__
+    #define DLL_PUBLIC __attribute__ ((visibility("default")))
+  #else
+    #pragma message ("Compiler does not support symbol visibility.")
+    #define DLL_PUBLIC
+  #endif
+#endif
diff --git a/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/subdir/shlib.c b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/subdir/shlib.c
index d649c7d24..002c83f92 100644
--- a/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/subdir/shlib.c	
+++ b/test cases/common/62 exe static shared/subdir/shlib.c	
@@ -1,13 +1,4 @@
-#if defined _WIN32 || defined __CYGWIN__
-  #define DLL_PUBLIC __declspec(dllexport)
-#else
-  #if defined __GNUC__
-    #define DLL_PUBLIC __attribute__ ((visibility("default")))
-  #else
-    #pragma message ("Compiler does not support symbol visibility.")
-    #define DLL_PUBLIC
-  #endif
-#endif
+#include "exports.h"
 
 int DLL_PUBLIC shlibfunc() {
     return 42;