diff --git a/arch/sparc/Makefile b/arch/sparc/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b1c56c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/arch/sparc/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# When building a library, even intra-library references,
+# such as from find_applet_by_name() to applet_names[],
+# don't work with -fpic on sparc, needs -fPIC.
+# Don't know why it fails in this case but works when
+# a binary is being built.
+#
+# (if is superfluous, ARCH_FPIC is only used by library build, but it
+# demonstrates the point: non-pic binary does not need it)
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_BUILD_LIBBUSYBOX),y)
+ARCH_FPIC = -fPIC
+endif