diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index fc427acdc9..ec4a9c2eb7 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -617,15 +617,12 @@ foreach(PKG_WITH_INCL CORESHELL QEQ OPENMP DPD-SMOOTH KOKKOS OPT INTEL GPU)
 endforeach()
 
 if(PKG_PLUGIN)
-  if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
-    target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DLMP_PLUGIN)
-  else()
-    message(WARNING "Plugin loading will not work unless BUILD_SHARED_LIBS is enabled")
-  endif()
-  # link with -ldl or equivalent for plugin loading; except on Windows
-  if(NOT ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} STREQUAL "Windows")
-    target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
-  endif()
+  target_compile_definitions(lammps PRIVATE -DLMP_PLUGIN)
+endif()
+
+# link with -ldl or equivalent for plugin loading; except on Windows
+if(NOT ${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} STREQUAL "Windows")
+   target_link_libraries(lammps PRIVATE ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS})
 endif()
 
 ######################################################################
diff --git a/doc/src/plugin.rst b/doc/src/plugin.rst
index 7995ddc369..5372dffc83 100644
--- a/doc/src/plugin.rst
+++ b/doc/src/plugin.rst
@@ -65,10 +65,8 @@ only enabled if LAMMPS was built with that package.
 See the :doc:`Build package <Build_package>` page for
 more info. Plugins are not available on Windows.
 
-For the loading of plugins to work the LAMMPS library must be
-:ref:`compiled as a shared library <library>`.  If plugins
-access functions or classes from a package, LAMMPS must have
-been compiled with that package included.
+If plugins access functions or classes from a package, LAMMPS must
+have been compiled with that package included.
 
 Plugins are dependent on the LAMMPS binary interface (ABI)
 and particularly the MPI library used. So they are not guaranteed
diff --git a/src/MAKE/MACHINES/Makefile.cygwin b/src/MAKE/MACHINES/Makefile.cygwin
index 3d4a50a8ea..1af9cfe802 100644
--- a/src/MAKE/MACHINES/Makefile.cygwin
+++ b/src/MAKE/MACHINES/Makefile.cygwin
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ JPG_INC =
 JPG_PATH =
 JPG_LIB =
 
+# library for loading shared objects (defaults to -ldl, but should be empty on Windows)
+
+override DYN_LIB =
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 # build rules and dependencies
 # do not edit this section
diff --git a/src/MAKE/Makefile.mpi b/src/MAKE/Makefile.mpi
index 42f48b4e2c..cf796be69b 100644
--- a/src/MAKE/Makefile.mpi
+++ b/src/MAKE/Makefile.mpi
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ JPG_INC =
 JPG_PATH =
 JPG_LIB =
 
+# library for loading shared objects (defaults to -ldl)
+# uncomment to change the default
+
+# override DYN_LIB =
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 # build rules and dependencies
 # do not edit this section
diff --git a/src/MAKE/Makefile.serial b/src/MAKE/Makefile.serial
index b527919147..6dd8415ea9 100644
--- a/src/MAKE/Makefile.serial
+++ b/src/MAKE/Makefile.serial
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ JPG_INC =
 JPG_PATH = 	
 JPG_LIB =	
 
+# library for loading shared objects (defaults to -ldl, should be empty on Windows)
+# uncomment to change the default
+
+# override DYN_LIB =
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 # build rules and dependencies
 # do not edit this section
@@ -74,7 +79,7 @@ include Makefile.package
 
 EXTRA_INC = $(LMP_INC) $(PKG_INC) $(MPI_INC) $(FFT_INC) $(JPG_INC) $(PKG_SYSINC)
 EXTRA_PATH = $(PKG_PATH) $(MPI_PATH) $(FFT_PATH) $(JPG_PATH) $(PKG_SYSPATH)
-EXTRA_LIB = $(PKG_LIB) $(MPI_LIB) $(FFT_LIB) $(JPG_LIB) $(PKG_SYSLIB)
+EXTRA_LIB = $(PKG_LIB) $(MPI_LIB) $(FFT_LIB) $(JPG_LIB) $(PKG_SYSLIB) $(DYN_LIB)
 EXTRA_CPP_DEPENDS = $(PKG_CPP_DEPENDS)
 EXTRA_LINK_DEPENDS = $(PKG_LINK_DEPENDS)
 
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index 7f02c1e84b..2d651c4986 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 SHELL = /bin/bash
 PYTHON = python
+DYN_LIB = -ldl
 
 #.IGNORE:
 
@@ -400,14 +401,14 @@ ifeq ($(mode),static)
 	@cd $(objdir); \
 	$(MAKE) $(MFLAGS) "OBJ = $(OBJLIB)" "INC = $(INC)" "SHFLAGS =" \
 	  "LMPLIB = $(ARLIB)" "ARLIB = $(ARLIB)" "SHLIB = $(SHLIB)" \
-	  "LMPLINK = $(LMPLINK)" "EXE = ../$(EXE)" ../$(EXE)
+	  "LMPLINK = $(LMPLINK)" "DYN_LIB = $(DYN_LIB)" "EXE = ../$(EXE)" ../$(EXE)
 	@ln -s $(ARLIB) $(ARLINK)
 endif
 ifeq ($(mode),shared)
 	@cd $(objdir); \
 	$(MAKE) $(MFLAGS) "OBJ = $(OBJLIB)" "INC = $(INC)" \
 	  "LMPLIB = $(SHLIB)" "ARLIB = $(ARLIB)" "SHLIB = $(SHLIB)" \
-	  "LMPLINK = $(LMPLINK)" "EXE = ../$(EXE)" ../$(EXE)
+	  "LMPLINK = $(LMPLINK)" "DYN_LIB = $(DYN_LIB)" "EXE = ../$(EXE)" ../$(EXE)
 	@ln -s $(SHLIB) $(SHLINK)
 endif
 # backward compatibility