diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index efebfc402a6..83c82e35408 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -57,8 +57,9 @@ def set_options(opt):
                    action='store_true', dest='without_ad_dc', default=False)
 
     opt.add_option('--with-pie',
-                  help=("Build Position Independent Executables (default)"),
-                  action="store_true", dest='enable_pie', default=True)
+                  help=("Build Position Independent Executables " +
+                        "(default if supported by compiler)"),
+                  action="store_true", dest='enable_pie')
     opt.add_option('--without-pie',
                   help=("Disable Position Independent Executable builds"),
                   action="store_false", dest='enable_pie')
@@ -167,10 +168,15 @@ def configure(conf):
     
     conf.SAMBA_CONFIG_H('include/config.h')
 
-    if Options.options.enable_pie == True:
-        conf.check_cc(cflags='-fPIE', ldflags='-pie', mandatory=True,
-                      msg="Checking compiler for PIE support")
-        conf.env['ENABLE_PIE'] = True
+    if Options.options.enable_pie != False:
+        if Options.options.enable_pie == True:
+                need_pie = True
+        else:
+                # not specified, only build PIEs if supported by compiler
+                need_pie = False
+        if conf.check_cc(cflags='-fPIE', ldflags='-pie', mandatory=need_pie,
+                         msg="Checking compiler for PIE support"):
+		conf.env['ENABLE_PIE'] = True
 
 def etags(ctx):
     '''build TAGS file using etags'''