diff --git a/MySQLdb/setup.py b/MySQLdb/setup.py
index 74d5012..eb2992e 100644
--- a/MySQLdb/setup.py
+++ b/MySQLdb/setup.py
@@ -18,63 +18,50 @@ thread_safe_library = NO
 
 mysqlclient = thread_safe_library and "mysqlclient_r" or "mysqlclient"
 
-if sys.platform in ("linux-i386", "linux2"): # most Linux
+# MySQL-3.23 and newer need libz
+libraries = [mysqlclient, "z"]
+
+# On some platorms, this can be used to find the shared libraries
+# at runtime, if they are in a non-standard location. Doesn't
+# work for Linux gcc.
+runtime_library_dirs = []
+
+# This can be used to force linking against static libraries.
+extra_objects = []
+
+# Sometimes the compiler or linker needs an extra switch to make
+# things work.
+extra_compile_args = []
+extra_link_args = []
+
+if sys.platform in ("linux-i386", "linux2"): # most Linux platforms
     include_dirs = ['/usr/include/mysql']
     library_dirs = ['/usr/lib/mysql']
-    libraries = [mysqlclient, "z"]
-    runtime_library_dirs = []
-    extra_objects = []
-    extra_link_args = []
-elif sys.platform in ("freebsd4", "openbsd2"): 
+elif sys.platform in ("freebsd4", "openbsd2"): # *BSD
     include_dirs = ['/usr/local/include/mysql']
     library_dirs = ['/usr/local/lib/mysql']
-    libraries = [mysqlclient, "z"]
-    runtime_library_dirs = []
-    extra_objects = []
-    extra_link_args = []
-elif sys.platform == "netbsd1":
+elif sys.platform == "netbsd1": # more *BSD
     include_dirs = ['/usr/pkg/include/mysql']
     library_dirs = ['/usr/pkg/lib/mysql']
-    libraries = [mysqlclient, "z"]
-    runtime_library_dirs = []
-    extra_objects = []
-    extra_link_args = []
-elif sys.platform == "sunos5": # Solaris 2.8 
+elif sys.platform == "sunos5": # Solaris 2.8 + gcc
     include_dirs = ['/usr/local/mysql/include/mysql'] 
     library_dirs = ['/usr/local/mysql/lib/mysql'] 
     libraries = [mysqlclient, "z"] 
     runtime_library_dirs = ['/usr/local/lib:/usr/openwin/lib:/usr/dt/lib'] 
-    extra_objects = [] 
-    extra_link_args = []
-elif sys.platform == "win32":
+    extra_compile_args = ["-fPIC"]
+elif sys.platform == "win32": # Ugh
     include_dirs = [r'c:\mysql\include']
     library_dirs = [r'c:\mysql\lib\opt']
     libraries = [mysqlclient, 'zlib', 'msvcrt', 'libcmt',
                  'wsock32', 'advapi32']
-    runtime_library_dirs = []
     extra_objects = [r'c:\mysql\lib\opt\mysqlclient.lib']
-    extra_link_args = []
 elif sys.platform == "darwin1": # Mac OS X
     include_dirs = ['/usr/local/mysql/include/mysql']
     library_dirs = ['/usr/local/mysql/lib/mysql']
-    libraries = [mysqlclient, "z"]
-    runtime_library_dirs = []
-    extra_objects = []
     extra_link_args = ['-flat_namespace']
-elif os.name == "posix": # most Linux/UNIX platforms
+elif os.name == "posix": # UNIX-ish platforms not covered above
     include_dirs = ['/usr/include/mysql']
     library_dirs = ['/usr/lib/mysql']
-    # MySQL-3.23 needs libz
-    libraries = [mysqlclient, "z"]
-    # On some platorms, this can be used to find the shared libraries
-    # at runtime, if they are in a non-standard location. Doesn't
-    # work for Linux gcc.
-    ## runtime_library_dirs = library_dirs
-    runtime_library_dirs = []
-    # This can be used on Linux to force use of static mysqlclient lib
-    ## extra_objects = ['/usr/lib/mysql/libmysqlclient.a']
-    extra_objects = []
-    extra_link_args = []
 else:
     raise "UnknownPlatform", "sys.platform=%s, os.name=%s" % \
           (sys.platform, os.name)
@@ -135,5 +122,6 @@ setup (# Distribution meta-data
                 libraries=libraries,
                 extra_objects=extra_objects,
                 extra_link_args=extra_link_args,
+                extra_compile_args=extra_compile_args,
                 )],
 )