diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b6a8a632c..d9f9783f0 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ else
     REQUIRE_LIB_DEPS=yes
 fi
 AC_SUBST(REQUIRE_LIB_DEPS)
+AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_EXPLICIT_LIB_DEPS, test x$REQUIRE_LIB_DEPS = xyes)
 
 dnl The install stuff has already been taken care of by the automake stuff
 dnl AC_PROG_INSTALL
diff --git a/tests/libtest/Makefile.am b/tests/libtest/Makefile.am
index 66c183dde..a9d0b9031 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/libtest/Makefile.am
@@ -55,8 +55,20 @@ test1022.pl Makefile.inc notexists.pl
 
 CFLAG_CURL_SYMBOL_HIDING = @CFLAG_CURL_SYMBOL_HIDING@
 
+# Prevent global LIBS from influencing libtest build targets
+BLANK_AT_MAKETIME = @BLANK_AT_MAKETIME@
+LIBS = $(BLANK_AT_MAKETIME)
+
+if USE_EXPLICIT_LIB_DEPS
+SUPPORTFILES_LIBS = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @LIBCURL_LIBS@
+TESTUTIL_LIBS = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @LIBCURL_LIBS@
+else
+SUPPORTFILES_LIBS = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_LIBS@
+TESTUTIL_LIBS = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+endif
+
 # Dependencies (may need to be overriden)
-LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_LIBS@
+LDADD = $(SUPPORTFILES_LIBS)
 DEPENDENCIES = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la
 
 # Mostly for Windows build targets, when using static libcurl
diff --git a/tests/libtest/Makefile.inc b/tests/libtest/Makefile.inc
index df7a24d3c..881622a90 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/Makefile.inc
+++ b/tests/libtest/Makefile.inc
@@ -28,25 +28,25 @@ chkhostname_DEPENDENCIES =
 chkhostname_CFLAGS = $(AM_CFLAGS)
 
 lib500_SOURCES = lib500.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(TSTTRACE)
-lib500_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib500_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib501_SOURCES = lib501.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib502_SOURCES = lib502.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib502_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib502_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib503_SOURCES = lib503.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib503_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib503_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib504_SOURCES = lib504.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib504_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib504_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib505_SOURCES = lib505.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib506_SOURCES = lib506.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib507_SOURCES = lib507.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib507_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib507_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib508_SOURCES = lib508.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
@@ -79,40 +79,40 @@ lib523_SOURCES = lib523.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 lib524_SOURCES = lib524.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib525_SOURCES = lib525.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib525_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib525_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib526_SOURCES = lib526.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib526_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib526_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 lib526_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB526
 
 lib527_SOURCES = lib526.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib527_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib527_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 lib527_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB527
 
 lib529_SOURCES = lib525.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib529_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib529_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 lib529_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB529
 
 lib530_SOURCES = lib530.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib530_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib530_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 lib530_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB530
 
 lib532_SOURCES = lib526.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib532_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib532_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 lib532_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB532
 
 lib533_SOURCES = lib533.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib533_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib533_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib536_SOURCES = lib536.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib536_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib536_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib537_SOURCES = lib537.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(WARNLESS)
 
 lib539_SOURCES = lib539.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib540_SOURCES = lib540.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib540_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib540_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib541_SOURCES = lib541.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ lib548_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB548
 lib549_SOURCES = lib549.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib555_SOURCES = lib555.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib555_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib555_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib552_SOURCES = lib552.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(WARNLESS)
 
@@ -146,19 +146,19 @@ lib556_SOURCES = lib556.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 lib557_SOURCES = lib557.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib560_SOURCES = lib560.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib560_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib560_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib574_SOURCES = lib574.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib575_SOURCES = lib575.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib575_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib575_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib576_SOURCES = lib576.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib562_SOURCES = lib562.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib564_SOURCES = lib564.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib564_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib564_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib565_SOURCES = lib510.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 lib565_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB565
@@ -178,19 +178,19 @@ lib571_SOURCES = lib571.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(WARNLESS)
 lib572_SOURCES = lib572.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib573_SOURCES = lib573.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS) $(TSTTRACE)
-lib573_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib573_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib578_SOURCES = lib578.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib579_SOURCES = lib579.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib582_SOURCES = lib582.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib582_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib582_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib583_SOURCES = lib583.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib585_SOURCES = lib500.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(TSTTRACE)
-lib585_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib585_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 lib585_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB585
 
 lib586_SOURCES = lib586.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
@@ -201,24 +201,24 @@ lib587_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -DLIB587
 lib590_SOURCES = lib590.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib591_SOURCES = lib591.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib591_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib591_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib597_SOURCES = lib597.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib597_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib597_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib598_SOURCES = lib598.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib599_SOURCES = lib599.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 lib1500_SOURCES = lib1500.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL)
-lib1500_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib1500_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib1501_SOURCES = lib1501.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL) $(WARNLESS)
-lib1501_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+lib1501_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)
 
 lib1502_SOURCES = lib1502.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 libauthretry_SOURCES = libauthretry.c $(SUPPORTFILES)
 
 libntlmconnect_SOURCES = libntlmconnect.c $(SUPPORTFILES) $(TESTUTIL)
-libntlmconnect_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/lib/libcurl.la @CURL_NETWORK_AND_TIME_LIBS@
+libntlmconnect_LDADD = $(TESTUTIL_LIBS)