diff --git a/win32/build/confutils.js b/win32/build/confutils.js
index 55dbfc2a665..4539a103d5a 100644
--- a/win32/build/confutils.js
+++ b/win32/build/confutils.js
@@ -648,6 +648,9 @@ function CHECK_LIB(libnames, target, path_to_check, common_name)
 	// Expand path to include general dirs
 	path_to_check += ";" + php_usual_lib_suspects;
 
+	// For static libs
+	eval('var static_lib = !PHP_' + common_name.toUpperCase() + '_SHARED;');
+
 	// It is common practice to put libs under one of these dir names
 	var subdirs = new Array(PHP_DEBUG == "yes" ? "Debug" : (PHP_DEBUG_PACK == "yes"?"Release_Dbg":"Release"), "lib", "libs", "libexec");
 
@@ -663,6 +666,14 @@ function CHECK_LIB(libnames, target, path_to_check, common_name)
 			name = name.replace(rExp,"_debug.lib");
 			libnames.unshift(name);
 		}
+	} else if (!static_lib) {
+		var length = libnames.length;
+		for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+			var name = new String(libnames[i]);
+			rExp = /_a.lib$/i;
+			name = name.replace(rExp,".lib");
+			libnames.unshift(name);
+		}
 	}
 
 	var i, j, k, libname;