diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 51a8abd0c..09139d58c 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@ SUBDIRS = libspl libavl libefi libshare libunicode
 
 # These four libraries, which are installed as the final build product,
 # incorporate the five convenience libraries given above.
-SUBDIRS += libnvpair libuutil libzpool libzfs
+SUBDIRS += libuutil libnvpair libzpool libzfs
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.in b/lib/Makefile.in
index c33683dc9..45180aede 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.in
+++ b/lib/Makefile.in
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ udevruledir = @udevruledir@
 
 # These four libraries, which are installed as the final build product,
 # incorporate the five convenience libraries given above.
-SUBDIRS = libspl libavl libefi libshare libunicode libnvpair libuutil \
+SUBDIRS = libspl libavl libefi libshare libunicode libuutil libnvpair \
 	libzpool libzfs
 all: all-recursive
 
diff --git a/lib/libnvpair/Makefile.am b/lib/libnvpair/Makefile.am
index b0cf8ad23..467f461a3 100644
--- a/lib/libnvpair/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/libnvpair/Makefile.am
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ libnvpair_la_SOURCES = \
 	$(top_srcdir)/module/nvpair/nvpair_alloc_fixed.c \
 	$(top_srcdir)/module/nvpair/nvpair.c
 
+libnvpair_la_LIBADD = \
+        $(top_builddir)/lib/libuutil/libuutil.la
+
 libnvpair_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 1:1:0
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
diff --git a/lib/libnvpair/Makefile.in b/lib/libnvpair/Makefile.in
index 8fb993e63..b2e8e22dc 100644
--- a/lib/libnvpair/Makefile.in
+++ b/lib/libnvpair/Makefile.in
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ am__base_list = \
   sed '$$!N;$$!N;$$!N;$$!N;s/\n/ /g'
 am__installdirs = "$(DESTDIR)$(libdir)"
 LTLIBRARIES = $(lib_LTLIBRARIES)
-libnvpair_la_LIBADD =
+libnvpair_la_DEPENDENCIES = $(top_builddir)/lib/libuutil/libuutil.la
 am_libnvpair_la_OBJECTS = libnvpair.lo nvpair_alloc_system.lo \
 	nvpair_alloc_fixed.lo nvpair.lo
 libnvpair_la_OBJECTS = $(am_libnvpair_la_OBJECTS)
@@ -348,6 +348,9 @@ libnvpair_la_SOURCES = \
 	$(top_srcdir)/module/nvpair/nvpair_alloc_fixed.c \
 	$(top_srcdir)/module/nvpair/nvpair.c
 
+libnvpair_la_LIBADD = \
+        $(top_builddir)/lib/libuutil/libuutil.la
+
 libnvpair_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info 1:1:0
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	$(top_srcdir)/module/nvpair/nvpair_alloc_spl.c