--- a/Python/setup.py
+++ b/Python/setup.py
@@ -864,6 +864,11 @@ class PyBuildExt(build_ext):
                 exts.append( Extension('dbm', ['dbmmodule.c'],
                                        define_macros=[('HAVE_NDBM_H',None)],
                                        libraries = ndbm_libs ) )
+            elif (self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs, 'gdbm_compat')
+                  and find_file("gdbm/ndbm.h", inc_dirs, []) is not None):
+                exts.append( Extension('dbm', ['dbmmodule.c'],
+                                       define_macros=[('HAVE_GDBM_NDBM_H',None)],
+                                       libraries = ['gdbm_compat'] ) )
             elif (self.compiler.find_library_file(lib_dirs, 'gdbm')
                   and find_file("gdbm/ndbm.h", inc_dirs, []) is not None):
                 exts.append( Extension('dbm', ['dbmmodule.c'],