diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 8fecc46..f44794b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ if test "$enable_runtime" = "libicu" -o "$enable_builtin" = "libicu"; then
       [AC_LANG_PROGRAM(
         [[#include <unicode/ustring.h>]],
         [[u_strToUTF8(NULL, 0, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL);]])],
-      [HAVE_LIBICU=yes; AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
+      [HAVE_LIBICU=yes; LIBICU_LIBS="-licuuc"; AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])],
       [AC_MSG_RESULT([no]); AC_MSG_ERROR(You requested libicu but it is not installed.)])
     LIBS=$OLDLIBS
   ])
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index cd319ac..a3426c3 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ libpsl_la_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/include
 # include ABI version information
 libpsl_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info $(LIBPSL_SO_VERSION)
 if WITH_LIBICU
-  libpsl_la_LDFLAGS += -licuuc
+  libpsl_la_LDFLAGS += $(LIBICU_LIBS)
 endif
 if WITH_LIBIDN2
   libpsl_la_LDFLAGS += -lidn2 -lunistring
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ noinst_PROGRAMS = psl2c
 psl2c_SOURCES = psl2c.c lookup_string_in_fixed_set.c
 psl2c_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/include -DMAKE_DAFSA=\"$(top_srcdir)/src/psl-make-dafsa\"
 if BUILTIN_GENERATOR_LIBICU
-  psl2c_LDADD = -licuuc
+  psl2c_LDADD = $(LIBICU_LIBS)
 endif
 if BUILTIN_GENERATOR_LIBIDN2
   psl2c_LDADD = @LTLIBICONV@ -lidn2 -lunistring