diff --git a/contrib/julia-config.jl b/contrib/julia-config.jl
index 8b1eb55cbe4f4..6794834834d25 100755
--- a/contrib/julia-config.jl
+++ b/contrib/julia-config.jl
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ function includeDir()
     return abspath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.INCLUDEDIR, "julia")
 end
 
-function ldflags(doframework)
-    doframework && return "-F$(shell_escape(frameworkDir()))"
+function ldflags(; framework::Bool=false)
+    framework && return "-F$(shell_escape(frameworkDir()))"
     fl = "-L$(shell_escape(libDir()))"
     if Sys.iswindows()
         fl = fl * " -Wl,--stack,8388608"
@@ -56,27 +56,40 @@ function ldflags(doframework)
     return fl
 end
 
-function ldlibs(doframework)
+function ldrpath()
+    libname = if Base.isdebugbuild()
+        "julia-debug"
+    else
+        "julia"
+    end
+    return "-Wl,-rpath,$(shell_escape(private_libDir())) -Wl,-rpath,$(shell_escape(libDir())) -l$libname"
+end
+
+function ldlibs(; framework::Bool=false, rpath::Bool=true)
     # Return "Julia" for the framework even if this is a debug build.
     # If the user wants the debug framework, DYLD_IMAGE_SUFFIX=_debug
     # should be used (refer to man 1 dyld).
-    doframework && return "-framework $(Base.DARWIN_FRAMEWORK_NAME)"
+    framework && return "-framework $(Base.DARWIN_FRAMEWORK_NAME)"
     libname = if Base.isdebugbuild()
         "julia-debug"
     else
         "julia"
     end
     if Sys.isunix()
-        return "-L$(shell_escape(private_libDir())) -Wl,-rpath,$(shell_escape(libDir())) -Wl,-rpath,$(shell_escape(private_libDir())) -l$libname"
+        if rpath
+            return "-L$(shell_escape(private_libDir())) $(ldrpath())"
+        else
+            return "-L$(shell_escape(private_libDir()))"
+        end
     else
         return "-l$libname -lopenlibm"
     end
 end
 
-function cflags(doframework)
+function cflags(; framework::Bool=false)
     flags = IOBuffer()
     print(flags, "-std=gnu11")
-    if doframework
+    if framework
         include = shell_escape(frameworkDir())
         print(flags, " -F", include)
     else
@@ -89,8 +102,8 @@ function cflags(doframework)
     return String(take!(flags))
 end
 
-function allflags(doframework)
-    return "$(cflags(doframework)) $(ldflags(doframework)) $(ldlibs(doframework))"
+function allflags(; framework::Bool=false, rpath::Bool=true)
+    return "$(cflags(; framework)) $(ldflags(; framework)) $(ldlibs(; framework, rpath))"
 end
 
 function check_args(args)
@@ -102,31 +115,29 @@ function check_args(args)
 end
 
 function check_framework_flag(args)
-    doframework = "--framework" in args
-    if doframework && !Base.DARWIN_FRAMEWORK
+    framework = "--framework" in args
+    if framework && !Base.DARWIN_FRAMEWORK
         println(stderr, "NOTICE: Ignoring --framework because Julia is not packaged as a framework.")
         return false
-    elseif !doframework && Base.DARWIN_FRAMEWORK
+    elseif !framework && Base.DARWIN_FRAMEWORK
         println(stderr, "NOTICE: Consider using --framework because Julia is packaged as a framework.")
         return false
     end
-    return doframework
+    return framework
 end
 
-function main()
-    check_args(ARGS)
-    doframework = check_framework_flag(ARGS)
-    for args in ARGS
+function (@main)(args)
+    check_args(args)
+    framework = check_framework_flag(args)
+    for args in args
         if args == "--ldflags"
-            println(ldflags(doframework))
+            println(ldflags(; framework))
         elseif args == "--cflags"
-            println(cflags(doframework))
+            println(cflags(; framework))
         elseif args == "--ldlibs"
-            println(ldlibs(doframework))
+            println(ldlibs(; framework))
         elseif args == "--allflags"
-            println(allflags(doframework))
+            println(allflags(; framework))
         end
     end
 end
-
-main()
diff --git a/contrib/juliac.jl b/contrib/juliac.jl
index 3d1a3ef13fe79..8b413fccd6231 100644
--- a/contrib/juliac.jl
+++ b/contrib/juliac.jl
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 # Julia compiler wrapper script
 # NOTE: The interface and location of this script are considered unstable/experimental
 
+module JuliaConfig
+    include(joinpath(@__DIR__, "julia-config.jl"))
+end
+
 julia_cmd = `$(Base.julia_cmd()) --startup-file=no --history-file=no`
 output_type = nothing  # exe, sharedlib, sysimage
 outname = nothing
 file = nothing
 add_ccallables = false
+relative_rpath = false
 verbose = false
 
 help = findfirst(x->x == "--help", ARGS)
@@ -15,6 +20,7 @@ if help !== nothing
         Usage: julia juliac.jl [--output-exe | --output-lib | --output-sysimage] <name> [options] <file.jl>
         --experimental --trim=<no,safe,unsafe,unsafe-warn>  Only output code statically determined to be reachable
         --compile-ccallable  Include all methods marked `@ccallable` in output
+        --relative-rpath     Configure the library / executable to lookup all required libraries in an adjacent "julia/" folder
         --verbose            Request verbose output
         """)
     exit(0)
@@ -36,6 +42,8 @@ let i = 1
             global add_ccallables = true
         elseif arg == "--verbose"
             global verbose = true
+        elseif arg == "--relative-rpath"
+            global relative_rpath = true
         elseif startswith(arg, "--trim") || arg == "--experimental"
             # forwarded args
             push!(julia_args, arg)
@@ -53,11 +61,27 @@ end
 isnothing(outname) && error("No output file specified")
 isnothing(file) && error("No input file specified")
 
+function get_rpath(; relative::Bool = false)
+    if relative
+        if Sys.isapple()
+            return "-Wl,-rpath,'@loader_path/julia/' -Wl,-rpath,'@loader_path/'"
+        elseif Sys.islinux()
+            return "-Wl,-rpath,'\$ORIGIN/julia/' -Wl,-rpath,'\$ORIGIN/'"
+        else
+            error("unimplemented")
+        end
+    else
+        return JuliaConfig.ldrpath()
+    end
+end
+
 absfile = abspath(file)
-cflags = readchomp(`$(julia_cmd) $(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR,"julia", "julia-config.jl")) --cflags `)
+cflags = JuliaConfig.cflags(; framework=false)
 cflags = Base.shell_split(cflags)
-allflags = readchomp(`$(julia_cmd) $(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR,"julia", "julia-config.jl")) --allflags`)
+allflags = JuliaConfig.allflags(; framework=false, rpath=false)
 allflags = Base.shell_split(allflags)
+rpath = get_rpath(; relative = relative_rpath)
+rpath = Base.shell_split(rpath)
 tmpdir = mktempdir(cleanup=false)
 initsrc_path = joinpath(tmpdir, "init.c")
 init_path = joinpath(tmpdir, "init.a")
@@ -113,12 +137,14 @@ function link_products()
     julia_libs = Base.shell_split(Base.isdebugbuild() ? "-ljulia-debug -ljulia-internal-debug" : "-ljulia -ljulia-internal")
     try
         if output_type == "--output-lib"
-            run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -shared -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path  -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $init_path  $(julia_libs)`)
+            cmd2 = `cc $(allflags) $(rpath) -o $outname -shared -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path  -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $init_path  $(julia_libs)`
         elseif output_type == "--output-sysimage"
-            run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -shared -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path  -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE)             $(julia_libs)`)
+            cmd2 = `cc $(allflags) $(rpath) -o $outname -shared -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path  -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE)             $(julia_libs)`
         else
-            run(`cc $(allflags) -o $outname -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $init_path $(julia_libs)`)
+            cmd2 = `cc $(allflags) $(rpath) -o $outname -Wl,$(Base.Linking.WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $img_path -Wl,$(Base.Linking.NO_WHOLE_ARCHIVE) $init_path $(julia_libs)`
         end
+        verbose && println("Running: $cmd2")
+        run(cmd2)
     catch e
         println("\nCompilation failed: ", e)
         exit(1)