diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 344cc573b..98c6cd575 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -190,8 +190,9 @@ indic_LDADD = libharfbuzz.la $(HBLIBS)
 dist_check_SCRIPTS = \
 	check-c-linkage-decls.sh \
 	check-header-guards.sh \
-	check-internal-symbols.sh \
 	check-includes.sh \
+	check-internal-symbols.sh \
+	check-static-inits.sh \
 	$(NULL)
 
 if HAVE_ICU
diff --git a/src/check-static-inits.sh b/src/check-static-inits.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..eb04a55be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/check-static-inits.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+LC_ALL=C
+export LC_ALL
+
+test -z "$srcdir" && srcdir=.
+stat=0
+
+
+if which objdump 2>/dev/null >/dev/null; then
+	:
+else
+	echo "check-static-inits.sh: 'objdump' not found; skipping test"
+	exit 77
+fi
+
+echo "Checking that no object file has static initializers"
+for obj in .libs/*.o; do
+	if objdump -t "$obj" | grep '[.]ctors'; then
+		echo "Ouch, $obj has static initializers"
+		stat=1
+	fi
+done
+
+echo "Checking that no object file has lazy static C++ constructors/destructors"
+for obj in .libs/*.o; do
+	if objdump -t "$obj" | grep '__c'; then
+		echo "Ouch, $obj has lazy static C++ constructors/destructors"
+		stat=1
+	fi
+done
+
+exit $stat