diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/dcc/meson.build b/src/fe-common/irc/dcc/meson.build
index 013299a0..ce2c8458 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/dcc/meson.build
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/dcc/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # this file is part of irssi
 
-libfe_irc_dcc_a = shared_module('fe_irc_dcc',
+libfe_irc_dcc_a = static_library('fe_irc_dcc',
   files(
     'fe-dcc-chat-messages.c',
     'fe-dcc-chat.c',
@@ -12,13 +12,15 @@ libfe_irc_dcc_a = shared_module('fe_irc_dcc',
   ),
   include_directories : rootinc,
   implicit_include_directories : false,
-  install : true,
-  install_dir : moduledir,
   c_args : [
     def_helpdir,
     def_sysconfdir,
   ],
   dependencies : dep)
+shared_module('fe_irc_dcc',
+  install : true,
+  install_dir : moduledir,
+  link_whole : libfe_irc_dcc_a)
 
 install_headers(
   files(
diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/meson.build b/src/fe-common/irc/meson.build
index 38903043..b1f54a46 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/meson.build
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # this file is part of irssi
 
-libfe_common_irc_a = shared_module('fe_common_irc',
+libfe_common_irc_a = static_library('fe_common_irc',
   files(
     'fe-cap.c',
     'fe-common-irc.c',
@@ -25,13 +25,15 @@ libfe_common_irc_a = shared_module('fe_common_irc',
   ),
   include_directories : rootinc,
   implicit_include_directories : false,
-  install : true,
-  install_dir : moduledir,
   c_args : [
     def_helpdir,
     def_themesdir,
   ],
   dependencies : dep)
+shared_module('fe_common_irc',
+  install : true,
+  install_dir : moduledir,
+  link_whole : libfe_common_irc_a)
 
 install_headers(
   files(
diff --git a/src/fe-common/irc/notifylist/meson.build b/src/fe-common/irc/notifylist/meson.build
index 76e63b82..2917a59d 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/irc/notifylist/meson.build
+++ b/src/fe-common/irc/notifylist/meson.build
@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 # this file is part of irssi
 
-libfe_irc_notifylist_a = shared_module('fe_irc_notifylist',
+libfe_irc_notifylist_a = static_library('fe_irc_notifylist',
   files(
     'fe-notifylist.c',
     'module-formats.c',
   ),
   include_directories : rootinc,
   implicit_include_directories : false,
-  install : true,
-  install_dir : moduledir,
   c_args : [
     def_helpdir,
     def_sysconfdir,
   ],
   dependencies : dep)
+shared_module('fe_irc_notifylist',
+  install : true,
+  install_dir : moduledir,
+  link_whole : libfe_irc_notifylist_a)
 
 install_headers(
   files(
diff --git a/src/irc/core/meson.build b/src/irc/core/meson.build
index b409e0f6..a5ad7b7e 100644
--- a/src/irc/core/meson.build
+++ b/src/irc/core/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # this file is part of irssi
 
-libirc_core_a = shared_module('irc_core',
+libirc_core_a = static_library('irc_core',
   files(
     'bans.c',
     'channel-events.c',
@@ -33,13 +33,15 @@ libirc_core_a = shared_module('irc_core',
   ),
   include_directories : rootinc,
   implicit_include_directories : false,
-  install : true,
-  install_dir : moduledir,
   c_args : [
     def_moduledir,
     def_sysconfdir,
   ],
   dependencies : dep)
+shared_module('irc_core',
+  install : true,
+  install_dir : moduledir,
+  link_whole : libirc_core_a)
 
 install_headers(
   files(
diff --git a/src/irc/dcc/meson.build b/src/irc/dcc/meson.build
index a2a9b92d..70f0a9b8 100644
--- a/src/irc/dcc/meson.build
+++ b/src/irc/dcc/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # this file is part of irssi
 
-libirc_dcc_a = shared_module('irc_dcc',
+shared_module('irc_dcc',
   files(
     'dcc-autoget.c',
     'dcc-chat.c',
diff --git a/src/irc/flood/meson.build b/src/irc/flood/meson.build
index fe4d8a6d..f0f05494 100644
--- a/src/irc/flood/meson.build
+++ b/src/irc/flood/meson.build
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 # this file is part of irssi
 
-libirc_flood_a = shared_module('irc_flood',
+libirc_flood_a = static_library('irc_flood',
   files(
     'autoignore.c',
     'flood.c',
   ),
   include_directories : rootinc,
   implicit_include_directories : false,
+  dependencies : dep)
+shared_module('irc_flood',
   install : true,
   install_dir : moduledir,
-  dependencies : dep)
+  link_whole : libirc_flood_a)
 
 install_headers(
   files('module.h'),
diff --git a/src/irc/notifylist/meson.build b/src/irc/notifylist/meson.build
index 87190ce7..648906de 100644
--- a/src/irc/notifylist/meson.build
+++ b/src/irc/notifylist/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # this file is part of irssi
 
-libirc_notifylist_a = shared_module('irc_notifylist',
+shared_module('irc_notifylist',
   files(
     'notify-commands.c',
     'notify-ison.c',
diff --git a/src/perl/common/meson.build b/src/perl/common/meson.build
index f2a69bc9..d3c98a88 100644
--- a/src/perl/common/meson.build
+++ b/src/perl/common/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-libperl_Irssi_a = shared_module('Irssi',
+shared_module('Irssi',
   [ xsubpp.process(
     files(
       'Channel.xs',
diff --git a/src/perl/irc/meson.build b/src/perl/irc/meson.build
index 0a8fd9f9..401ec707 100644
--- a/src/perl/irc/meson.build
+++ b/src/perl/irc/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-libperl_Irssi_Irc_a = shared_module('Irc',
+shared_module('Irc',
   [ xsubpp.process(
     files(
       'Channel.xs',
diff --git a/src/perl/meson.build b/src/perl/meson.build
index d81173d9..f685fb0d 100644
--- a/src/perl/meson.build
+++ b/src/perl/meson.build
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ irssi_core_pl_h = custom_target('irssi-core.pl.h',
 # required as of Meson 0.58.0
 generated_files_inc = include_directories('.')
 
-libperl_core_a = shared_module('perl_core',
+libperl_core_sm = shared_module('perl_core',
   files(
     'perl-common.c',
     'perl-core.c',
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ libperl_core_a = shared_module('perl_core',
 
 dl_cross_perl_core = []
 if need_dl_cross_link
-  dl_cross_perl_core += libperl_core_a
+  dl_cross_perl_core += libperl_core_sm
 endif
 
-libfe_perl_a = shared_module('fe_perl',
+shared_module('fe_perl',
   files(
     'module-formats.c',
     'perl-fe.c',
diff --git a/src/perl/textui/meson.build b/src/perl/textui/meson.build
index 1705fa36..e0b83dd3 100644
--- a/src/perl/textui/meson.build
+++ b/src/perl/textui/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-libperl_Irssi_TextUI_a = shared_module('TextUI',
+shared_module('TextUI',
   [ xsubpp.process(
     files(
       'Statusbar.xs',
diff --git a/src/perl/ui/meson.build b/src/perl/ui/meson.build
index 14bc7699..f9b8b41c 100644
--- a/src/perl/ui/meson.build
+++ b/src/perl/ui/meson.build
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-libperl_Irssi_UI_a = shared_module('UI',
+shared_module('UI',
   [ xsubpp.process(
     files(
       'Formats.xs',