diff --git a/desmume/configure.ac b/desmume/configure.ac
index 09b468560..55ecbb62f 100644
--- a/desmume/configure.ac
+++ b/desmume/configure.ac
@@ -83,9 +83,11 @@ if test "x$osmesa" = "xyes" ; then
 	AC_CHECK_LIB(OSMesa, main,[
 		useosmesa=yes
 		AC_DEFINE(HAVE_LIBOSMESA)
-		LIBS="-lOSMesa $LIBS"
+		OSMESA_LIBS="-lOSMesa"
+		AC_SUBST(OSMESA_LIBS)
 	])
 fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAVE_LIBOSMESA], [test "${useosmesa}" = "yes"])
 
 dnl - hack to help zero build gtk frontend macos x package
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(macosxhack,
diff --git a/desmume/src/gtk/Makefile.am b/desmume/src/gtk/Makefile.am
index 0eb93c11f..fd5d005f6 100644
--- a/desmume/src/gtk/Makefile.am
+++ b/desmume/src/gtk/Makefile.am
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ desmume_LDADD = ../libdesmume.a \
 if HAVE_GDB_STUB
 desmume_LDADD += ../gdbstub/libgdbstub.a
 endif
+if HAVE_LIBOSMESA
+desmume_LDADD += $(OSMESA_LIBS)
+endif
 
 UPDATE_DESKTOP = \
   appsdir=$(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/applications ; \