diff --git a/mk/rte.app.mk b/mk/rte.app.mk
index 244e74d883..db619c5e3f 100644
--- a/mk/rte.app.mk
+++ b/mk/rte.app.mk
@@ -209,7 +209,9 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_RTE_IBVERBS_LINK_DLOPEN),y)
 _LDLIBS-y                                   += -ldl
 else ifeq ($(CONFIG_RTE_IBVERBS_LINK_STATIC),y)
 LIBS_IBVERBS_STATIC = $(shell $(RTE_SDK)/buildtools/options-ibverbs-static.sh)
+_LDLIBS-y                                   += --no-whole-archive
 _LDLIBS-y                                   += $(LIBS_IBVERBS_STATIC)
+_LDLIBS-y                                   += --whole-archive
 else
 ifeq ($(findstring y,$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_MLX5_PMD)$(CONFIG_RTE_LIBRTE_MLX5_VDPA_PMD)),y)
 _LDLIBS-y                                   += -libverbs -lmlx5