diff --git a/src/m4/ax_backtrace.m4 b/src/m4/ax_backtrace.m4
index 486889aa..08711da1 100644
--- a/src/m4/ax_backtrace.m4
+++ b/src/m4/ax_backtrace.m4
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #
 # MIT License
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2013-2020 Michael Truog <mjtruog at protonmail dot com>
+# Copyright (c) 2013-2021 Michael Truog <mjtruog at protonmail dot com>
 #
 # Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
 # copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
@@ -80,6 +80,18 @@ backtrace(0, 0);
          ]])],
         [has_execinfo="yes"])
     AC_MSG_RESULT($has_execinfo)
+    if test "x$has_execinfo" = "xno"; then
+        dnl libexecinfo may be required at link-time
+        AX_CHECK_PRIVATE_LIB(execinfo, backtrace,
+            [AC_LANG_PROGRAM([[
+#include <execinfo.h>
+             ]], [[
+backtrace(0, 0);
+             ]])],
+            [$has_execinfo="yes"])
+    else
+        EXECINFO_LIB=""
+    fi
 
     dnl backtrace data is required to print backtrace information
     if test "x$has_unwind" = "xno" -a "x$has_execinfo" = "xno"; then
@@ -150,13 +162,13 @@ dladdr(0, 0);
         fi
         if test "x$want_dw" = "xyes"; then
             BACKTRACE_LDFLAGS=$DW_LDFLAGS
-            BACKTRACE_LIB=$DW_LIB
+            BACKTRACE_LIB="$DW_LIB $EXECINFO_LIB"
             AC_DEFINE([BACKWARD_HAS_DW], [1],
                       [Define if libdw is usable.])
             AC_MSG_RESULT([backward-cpp dw $unwind_status])
         elif test "x$want_bfd" = "xyes"; then
             BACKTRACE_LDFLAGS=$BFD_LDFLAGS
-            BACKTRACE_LIB=$BFD_LIB
+            BACKTRACE_LIB="$BFD_LIB $EXECINFO_LIB"
             AC_DEFINE([BACKWARD_HAS_BFD], [1],
                       [Define if libbfd is usable.])
             AC_MSG_RESULT([backward-cpp bfd $unwind_status])
@@ -172,7 +184,7 @@ dladdr(0, 0);
     elif test "x$backtrace" = "xbooster"; then
         BACKTRACE_CPPFLAGS="-I\$(top_srcdir)/external/booster"
         BACKTRACE_LDFLAGS=$DL_LDFLAGS
-        BACKTRACE_LIB=$DL_LIB
+        BACKTRACE_LIB="$DL_LIB $EXECINFO_LIB"
         if test "x$has_unwind" = "xyes"; then
             AC_DEFINE([BOOSTER_HAVE_UNWIND_BACKTRACE], [1],
                       [Define if libgcc has _Unwind_GetIP().])