diff --git a/src/cmd/5l/obj.c b/src/cmd/5l/obj.c
index caa13ae7134..5dbd7655c5c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/5l/obj.c
+++ b/src/cmd/5l/obj.c
@@ -104,7 +104,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	ARGBEGIN {
 	default:
 		c = ARGC();
-		if(c >= 0 && c < sizeof(debug))
+		if(c == 'l')
+			usage();
+ 		if(c >= 0 && c < sizeof(debug))
 			debug[c]++;
 		break;
 	case 'o':
@@ -136,7 +138,6 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		break;
 	case 'u':	/* produce dynamically loadable module */
 		dlm = 1;
-		debug['l']++;
 		if(argv[1] != nil && argv[1][0] != '-' && !isobjfile(argv[1]))
 			readundefs(ARGF(), SIMPORT);
 		break;
@@ -259,9 +260,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	lastp = firstp;
 
 	addlibpath("command line", "command line", argv[0], "main");
-
-	if(!debug['l'])
-		loadlib();
+	loadlib();
 
 	// mark some functions that are only referenced after linker code editing
 	// TODO(kaib): this doesn't work, the prog can't be found in runtime
diff --git a/src/cmd/6l/obj.c b/src/cmd/6l/obj.c
index edae1c618cd..537ef9e9aa7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/6l/obj.c
+++ b/src/cmd/6l/obj.c
@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	ARGBEGIN {
 	default:
 		c = ARGC();
-		if(c >= 0 && c < sizeof(debug))
+		if(c == 'l')
+			usage();
+ 		if(c >= 0 && c < sizeof(debug))
 			debug[c]++;
 		break;
 	case 'o': /* output to (next arg) */
@@ -131,7 +133,6 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		break;
 	case 'u':	/* produce dynamically loadable module */
 		dlm = 1;
-		debug['l']++;
 		if(argv[1] != nil && argv[1][0] != '-' && !isobjfile(argv[1]))
 			readundefs(ARGF(), SIMPORT);
 		break;
@@ -347,9 +348,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	lastp = firstp;
 
 	addlibpath("command line", "command line", argv[0], "main");
-
-	if(!debug['l'])
-		loadlib();
+	loadlib();
 
 	deadcode();
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/8l/obj.c b/src/cmd/8l/obj.c
index 7b8e7f2eca1..6ab48622cd5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/8l/obj.c
+++ b/src/cmd/8l/obj.c
@@ -105,7 +105,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	ARGBEGIN {
 	default:
 		c = ARGC();
-		if(c >= 0 && c < sizeof(debug))
+		if(c == 'l')
+			usage();
+ 		if(c >= 0 && c < sizeof(debug))
 			debug[c]++;
 		break;
 	case 'o': /* output to (next arg) */
@@ -137,7 +139,6 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		break;
 	case 'u':	/* produce dynamically loadable module */
 		dlm = 1;
-		debug['l']++;
 		if(argv[1] != nil && argv[1][0] != '-' && !isobjfile(argv[1]))
 			readundefs(ARGF(), SIMPORT);
 		break;
@@ -385,9 +386,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	lastp = firstp;
 
 	addlibpath("command line", "command line", argv[0], "main");
-
-	if(!debug['l'])
-		loadlib();
+	loadlib();
 
 	deadcode();
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/ld/lib.c b/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
index df0b1a7487e..a11ab903817 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ld/lib.c
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 int iconv(Fmt*);
 
 char	symname[]	= SYMDEF;
-char*	libdir[16] = { "." };
-int	nlibdir = 1;
+char*	libdir[16];
+int	nlibdir = 0;
 int	cout = -1;
 
 char*	goroot;
@@ -180,6 +180,11 @@ addlibpath(char *srcref, char *objref, char *file, char *pkg)
 	for(i=0; i<libraryp; i++)
 		if(strcmp(file, library[i].file) == 0)
 			return;
+
+	if(debug['v'])
+		Bprint(&bso, "%5.2f addlibpath: srcref: %s objref: %s file: %s pkg: %s\n",
+		cputime(), srcref, objref, file, pkg);
+
 	if(libraryp == nlibrary){
 		nlibrary = 50 + 2*libraryp;
 		library = realloc(library, sizeof library[0] * nlibrary);
@@ -207,15 +212,24 @@ addlibpath(char *srcref, char *objref, char *file, char *pkg)
 void
 loadlib(void)
 {
-	int i;
+	char pname[1024];
+	int i, found;
 	int32 h;
 	Sym *s;
 	char *a;
 
-	i = strlen(goroot)+strlen(goarch)+strlen(goos)+20;
-	a = mal(i);
-	snprint(a, i, "%s/pkg/%s_%s/runtime.a", goroot, goos, goarch);
-	addlibpath("internal", "internal", a, "runtime");
+	found = 0;
+	for(i=0; i<nlibdir; i++) {
+		snprint(pname, sizeof pname, "%s/runtime.a", libdir[i]);
+		if(debug['v'])
+			Bprint(&bso, "searching for runtime.a in %s\n", pname);
+		if(access(pname, AEXIST) >= 0) {
+			addlibpath("internal", "internal", pname, "runtime");
+			found = 1;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	if(!found) Bprint(&bso, "warning: unable to find runtime.a\n");
 
 loop:
 	xrefresolv = 0;