diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index ac2f1671..8cd4d6b3 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 xbps-0.16.6 (???):
 
+ * configure: added "--with-static" and if enabled, the static executables
+   will also be built and installed. By default it's disabled.
+
  * xbps-repo(8): the 'genindex' target has been replaced by the 'index-add' and
    'index-clean' targets. The 'index-add' expects a list of binary packages to
    be added to repository's index:
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 4db5e815..c853a249 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ DEBUG=
 BUILD_TESTS=
 BUILD_API_DOCS=
 BUILD_PIE=
+BUILD_STATIC=
 SILENT=yes
 HAVE_VISIBILITY=no
 
@@ -41,8 +42,9 @@ for instance \`--prefix=\$HOME'.
 
 --debug				Build with debugging code and symbols
 --verbose			Disable silent build to see compilation details
---with-pie			Build XBPS programs as PIE (default disabled)
 --with-api-docs			Install XBPS API Library documentation (default disabled)
+--with-pie			Build XBPS programs as PIE (default disabled)
+--with-static			Build XBPS static utils (default disabled)
 --with-tests			Build and install Kyua tests (default disabled)
 				Needs atf >= 0.15 (http://code.google.com/p/kyua)
 _EOF
@@ -71,6 +73,7 @@ for x; do
 	--with-pie) BUILD_PIE=$var;;
 	--pkgconfigdir) PKGCONFIGDIR=$var;;
 	--with-tests) BUILD_TESTS=yes;;
+	--with-static) BUILD_STATIC=yes;;
 	--testsdir) TESTSDIR=$var;;
 	--help) usage;;
 	*) echo "$0: WARNING: unknown option $opt" >&2;;
@@ -156,7 +159,7 @@ ETCDIR="${ETCDIR}/xbps"
 echo "ETCDIR ?= $ETCDIR" >>$CONFIG_MK
 
 [ -z "$DEBUG" ] && DEBUG=no
-[ -z "$BUILD_PIE" ] && BUILD_PIE_VAL=no
+[ -z "$BUILD_PIE" ] && BUILD_PIE_VALUE=no
 
 if [ -z "$CC" ]; then
 	printf "Looking for compiler ... "
@@ -299,9 +302,9 @@ if [ -n "$BUILD_PIE" ]; then
 	fi
 	if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
 		echo "Building programs as PIE (Position Independent Executable)."
-		BUILD_PIE_VAL=yes
+		BUILD_PIE_VALUE=yes
 	else
-		BUILD_PIE_VAL=no
+		BUILD_PIE_VALUE=no
 	fi
 fi
 
@@ -598,6 +601,16 @@ else
 		>>$CONFIG_MK
 fi
 
+#
+# If --with-static enabled, build static binaries.
+#
+if [ "$BUILD_STATIC" = "yes" ]; then
+	echo "BUILD_STATIC = yes" >>$CONFIG_MK
+	BUILD_STATIC_VALUE=yes
+else
+	BUILD_STATIC_VALUE=no
+fi
+
 #
 # If --with-tests enabled, check for ATF >= 0.15 via pkg-config.
 #
@@ -643,7 +656,8 @@ fi
 echo
 echo "   Build API documentation =	$BUILD_API_DOCS_VALUE"
 echo "   Build Kyua test suite =	$BUILD_TESTS_VALUE"
-echo "   Build programs as PIE =	$BUILD_PIE_VAL"
+echo "   Build programs as PIE =	$BUILD_PIE_VALUE"
+echo "   Build static programs =	$BUILD_STATIC_VALUE"
 echo "   Build with debug  =		$DEBUG"
 echo "   Use external proplib = 	$PROPLIB"
 echo "   Use external libfetch =	$LIBFETCH"
diff --git a/mk/prog.mk b/mk/prog.mk
index c77d99d2..d9bca2cd 100644
--- a/mk/prog.mk
+++ b/mk/prog.mk
@@ -2,8 +2,14 @@
 
 OBJS	?= main.o
 
+BINS = $(BIN)
+
+ifdef BUILD_STATIC
+BINS += $(BIN).static
+endif
+
 .PHONY: all
-all: $(BIN) $(BIN).static
+all: $(BINS)
 
 .PHONY: clean
 clean:
@@ -14,7 +20,9 @@ clean:
 install: all
 	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(SBINDIR)
 	install $(INSTALL_STRIPPED) -m 755 $(BIN) $(DESTDIR)$(SBINDIR)
+ifdef BUILD_STATIC
 	install $(INSTALL_STRIPPED) -m 755 $(BIN).static $(DESTDIR)$(SBINDIR)
+endif
 ifdef MAN
 	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man8
 	install -m 644 $(MAN) $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man8
@@ -23,7 +31,9 @@ endif
 .PHONY: uninstall
 uninstall:
 	-rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(SBINDIR)/$(BIN)
+ifdef BUILD_STATIC
 	-rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(SBINDIR)/$(BIN).static
+endif
 ifdef MAN
 	-rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man8/$(MAN)
 endif