diff --git a/src/afsd/Makefile.in b/src/afsd/Makefile.in
index 84e4b6418c..1ea788ed50 100644
--- a/src/afsd/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/afsd/Makefile.in
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ srcdir=@srcdir@
 include @TOP_OBJDIR@/src/config/Makefile.config
 include @TOP_OBJDIR@/src/config/Makefile.pthread
 
+# On AIX, we need to import afsl.exp so the linker can understand that
+# syscall() is a syscall provided by libafs.
+@AIX_ONLY@AFSD_KERNEL_LDFLAGS=-Wl,-bI:../sys/afsl.exp
 
 #
 # What to make
@@ -34,7 +37,7 @@ UAFSLIBS=$(top_builddir)/src/cmd/liboafs_cmd.la \
 
 FUSE_LIBS=@FUSE_LIBS@
 
-LDFLAGS_afsd = $(AFSD_LDFLAGS)
+LDFLAGS_afsd = $(AFSD_LDFLAGS) $(AFSD_KERNEL_LDFLAGS)
 afsd: afsd.o afsd_kernel.o $(AFSLIBS) $(AFSD_LIBS)
 	$(LT_LDRULE_static) afsd.o afsd_kernel.o $(NON_SHARED) \
 		$(AFSLIBS) ${AFSD_LIBS} $(LIB_hcrypto) $(LIB_roken) $(MT_LIBS)
diff --git a/src/cf/osconf.m4 b/src/cf/osconf.m4
index 72c012ca0d..c3d8864ec0 100644
--- a/src/cf/osconf.m4
+++ b/src/cf/osconf.m4
@@ -708,6 +708,13 @@ else
   esac
 fi
 
+dnl For convenience for AIX-only Makefile quirks, comment out all @AIX_ONLY@
+dnl lines in our Makefiles on non-AIX.
+AIX_ONLY='#'
+AS_CASE([$AFS_SYSNAME],
+	[rs_aix*], [AIX_ONLY=])
+AC_SUBST([AIX_ONLY])
+
 dnl add additional checks if compilers support the flags
 AS_IF([test "x$enable_checking" != "xno"],
       [AX_APPEND_COMPILE_FLAGS([-Wimplicit-fallthrough], [XCFLAGS], [-Werror])
diff --git a/src/dviced/Makefile.in b/src/dviced/Makefile.in
index 086dbe5f0f..bc8b050083 100644
--- a/src/dviced/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/dviced/Makefile.in
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ afsint.ss.o: ../fsint/afsint.ss.c
 state_analyzer.o: ${VICED}/state_analyzer.c
 	$(AFS_CCRULE) $(VICED)/state_analyzer.c
 
+@AIX_ONLY@LDFLAGS_dafileserver = -Wl,-bI:../sys/afsl.exp
 dafileserver: ${objects} ${LIBS}
 	$(LT_LDRULE_static) ${objects} \
 		${LIBS} $(LIB_hcrypto) $(LIB_roken) ${MT_LIBS}
diff --git a/src/dvolser/Makefile.in b/src/dvolser/Makefile.in
index 41bec98856..b474f7cb91 100644
--- a/src/dvolser/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/dvolser/Makefile.in
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ ihandle.o: ${VOL}/ihandle.c
 namei_ops.o: ${VOL}/namei_ops.c
 	$(AFS_CCRULE) $(VOL)/namei_ops.c
 
+@AIX_ONLY@LDFLAGS_davolserver = -Wl,-bI:../sys/afsl.exp
 davolserver: ${objects} ${LIBS}
 	$(LT_LDRULE_static) ${objects} ${LIBS} $(LIB_hcrypto) $(LIB_roken) \
 		${MT_LIBS} ${XLIBS}
diff --git a/src/tvolser/Makefile.in b/src/tvolser/Makefile.in
index 0a7e0c5480..0f0c8e21a8 100644
--- a/src/tvolser/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/tvolser/Makefile.in
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ vos: vos.o  ${VOSOBJS} ${VLSERVEROBJS} $(LIBS_client)
 	$(LT_LDRULE_static) vos.o ${VOSOBJS} ${VLSERVEROBJS} $(LIBS_client) \
 		$(LIB_hcrypto) $(LIB_roken) ${MT_LIBS}
 
+@AIX_ONLY@LDFLAGS_volserver = -Wl,-bI:../sys/afsl.exp
 volserver: ${objects} $(LIBS_server)
 	$(LT_LDRULE_static) ${objects} $(LIBS_server) \
 		$(LIB_hcrypto) $(LIB_roken) ${MT_LIBS}
diff --git a/src/viced/Makefile.in b/src/viced/Makefile.in
index 46575d74a6..427b81ffb3 100644
--- a/src/viced/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/viced/Makefile.in
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ namei_ops.o: ${VOL}/namei_ops.c
 afsint.ss.o: ../fsint/afsint.ss.c
 	$(AFS_CCRULE) ../fsint/afsint.ss.c
 
+@AIX_ONLY@LDFLAGS_fileserver = -Wl,-bI:../sys/afsl.exp
 fileserver: ${objects} ${LIBS}
 	$(LT_LDRULE_static) ${objects} \
 		${LIBS} $(LIB_hcrypto) $(LIB_roken) ${MT_LIBS}
diff --git a/src/volser/Makefile.in b/src/volser/Makefile.in
index 62b1e0bffb..e6437d2f55 100644
--- a/src/volser/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/volser/Makefile.in
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ vos: vos.o libvolser.a ${LIBS}
 	$(AFS_LDRULE) vos.o libvolser.a \
 		${LIBS} $(LIB_roken) ${XLIBS}
 
+@AIX_ONLY@LDFLAGS_volserver = -Wl,-bI:../sys/afsl.exp
 volserver: $(SOBJS) volerr.lo volint.xdr.lo volint.cs.lo \
 	   $(LIBS) ${TOP_LIBDIR}/libdir.a
 	$(AFS_LDRULE) $(SOBJS) .lwp/volerr.o .lwp/volint.xdr.o .lwp/volint.cs.o \