diff --git a/make b/make
index c841397d86479604add5d0b4c627130ff5f65a40..9d8bd01af1b9e2d7786d0903444370e4a65a9e0b 100755
--- a/make
+++ b/make
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ while($_ = next_make_line())
 	# skip spurious intel compiler messages
 	<MAKE>;<MAKE>;<MAKE>;next;
     }
+    elsif(m!unrecognized option '-Wl,-soname,libbinary_c.so'!)
+    {
+	# oops we're using ld as the linker when we should use gcc
+	print "\n\n$magenta Linking error $_ $reset\n\nTo fix this, try\n\nexport LD=gcc\n\nor\n\nexport LD=/usr/bin/gcc\n\nto use the compiler as a linker, then retry the build.\n\n\n";
+    }
     else
     {
         next if(suppress_warning($_));