diff --git a/src/Compilation.zig b/src/Compilation.zig
index cc2e2a916b..2ab9dde35c 100644
--- a/src/Compilation.zig
+++ b/src/Compilation.zig
@@ -451,6 +451,11 @@ pub const CacheMode = link.CacheMode;
 pub const LinkObject = struct {
     path: []const u8,
     must_link: bool = false,
+    // When the library is passed via a positional argument, it will be
+    // added as a full path. If it's `-l<lib>`, then just the basename.
+    //
+    // Consistent with `withLOption` variable name in lld ELF driver.
+    loption: bool = false,
 };
 
 pub const InitOptions = struct {
@@ -2196,7 +2201,7 @@ fn prepareWholeEmitSubPath(arena: Allocator, opt_emit: ?EmitLoc) error{OutOfMemo
 /// to remind the programmer to update multiple related pieces of code that
 /// are in different locations. Bump this number when adding or deleting
 /// anything from the link cache manifest.
-pub const link_hash_implementation_version = 8;
+pub const link_hash_implementation_version = 9;
 
 fn addNonIncrementalStuffToCacheManifest(comp: *Compilation, man: *Cache.Manifest) !void {
     const gpa = comp.gpa;
@@ -2206,7 +2211,7 @@ fn addNonIncrementalStuffToCacheManifest(comp: *Compilation, man: *Cache.Manifes
     defer arena_allocator.deinit();
     const arena = arena_allocator.allocator();
 
-    comptime assert(link_hash_implementation_version == 8);
+    comptime assert(link_hash_implementation_version == 9);
 
     if (comp.bin_file.options.module) |mod| {
         const main_zig_file = try mod.main_pkg.root_src_directory.join(arena, &[_][]const u8{
@@ -2244,6 +2249,7 @@ fn addNonIncrementalStuffToCacheManifest(comp: *Compilation, man: *Cache.Manifes
     for (comp.bin_file.options.objects) |obj| {
         _ = try man.addFile(obj.path, null);
         man.hash.add(obj.must_link);
+        man.hash.add(obj.loption);
     }
 
     for (comp.c_object_table.keys()) |key| {
diff --git a/src/link.zig b/src/link.zig
index 79ac33b892..471b26ae9f 100644
--- a/src/link.zig
+++ b/src/link.zig
@@ -1020,6 +1020,7 @@ pub const File = struct {
             for (base.options.objects) |obj| {
                 _ = try man.addFile(obj.path, null);
                 man.hash.add(obj.must_link);
+                man.hash.add(obj.loption);
             }
             for (comp.c_object_table.keys()) |key| {
                 _ = try man.addFile(key.status.success.object_path, null);
diff --git a/src/link/Coff/lld.zig b/src/link/Coff/lld.zig
index 656b0f9a97..6be20efe11 100644
--- a/src/link/Coff/lld.zig
+++ b/src/link/Coff/lld.zig
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ pub fn linkWithLLD(self: *Coff, comp: *Compilation, prog_node: *std.Progress.Nod
         man = comp.cache_parent.obtain();
         self.base.releaseLock();
 
-        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 8);
+        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 9);
 
         for (self.base.options.objects) |obj| {
             _ = try man.addFile(obj.path, null);
diff --git a/src/link/Elf.zig b/src/link/Elf.zig
index 9fa48a9e62..2a28f880ac 100644
--- a/src/link/Elf.zig
+++ b/src/link/Elf.zig
@@ -1371,13 +1371,14 @@ fn linkWithLLD(self: *Elf, comp: *Compilation, prog_node: *std.Progress.Node) !v
         // We are about to obtain this lock, so here we give other processes a chance first.
         self.base.releaseLock();
 
-        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 8);
+        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 9);
 
         try man.addOptionalFile(self.base.options.linker_script);
         try man.addOptionalFile(self.base.options.version_script);
         for (self.base.options.objects) |obj| {
             _ = try man.addFile(obj.path, null);
             man.hash.add(obj.must_link);
+            man.hash.add(obj.loption);
         }
         for (comp.c_object_table.keys()) |key| {
             _ = try man.addFile(key.status.success.object_path, null);
@@ -1719,6 +1720,8 @@ fn linkWithLLD(self: *Elf, comp: *Compilation, prog_node: *std.Progress.Node) !v
             for (self.base.options.objects) |obj| {
                 if (Compilation.classifyFileExt(obj.path) == .shared_library) {
                     const lib_dir_path = std.fs.path.dirname(obj.path) orelse continue;
+                    if (obj.loption) continue;
+
                     if ((try rpath_table.fetchPut(lib_dir_path, {})) == null) {
                         try argv.append("-rpath");
                         try argv.append(lib_dir_path);
@@ -1767,6 +1770,11 @@ fn linkWithLLD(self: *Elf, comp: *Compilation, prog_node: *std.Progress.Node) !v
                 try argv.append("-no-whole-archive");
                 whole_archive = false;
             }
+
+            if (obj.loption) {
+                assert(obj.path[0] == ':');
+                try argv.append("-l");
+            }
             try argv.append(obj.path);
         }
         if (whole_archive) {
diff --git a/src/link/MachO/zld.zig b/src/link/MachO/zld.zig
index b151aee19b..4f7e615c79 100644
--- a/src/link/MachO/zld.zig
+++ b/src/link/MachO/zld.zig
@@ -3494,7 +3494,7 @@ pub fn linkWithZld(macho_file: *MachO, comp: *Compilation, prog_node: *std.Progr
         // We are about to obtain this lock, so here we give other processes a chance first.
         macho_file.base.releaseLock();
 
-        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 8);
+        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 9);
 
         for (options.objects) |obj| {
             _ = try man.addFile(obj.path, null);
diff --git a/src/link/Wasm.zig b/src/link/Wasm.zig
index 5dfc91d4ce..befd2d68c9 100644
--- a/src/link/Wasm.zig
+++ b/src/link/Wasm.zig
@@ -3150,7 +3150,7 @@ fn linkWithZld(wasm: *Wasm, comp: *Compilation, prog_node: *std.Progress.Node) l
         // We are about to obtain this lock, so here we give other processes a chance first.
         wasm.base.releaseLock();
 
-        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 8);
+        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 9);
 
         for (options.objects) |obj| {
             _ = try man.addFile(obj.path, null);
@@ -4199,7 +4199,7 @@ fn linkWithLLD(wasm: *Wasm, comp: *Compilation, prog_node: *std.Progress.Node) !
         // We are about to obtain this lock, so here we give other processes a chance first.
         wasm.base.releaseLock();
 
-        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 8);
+        comptime assert(Compilation.link_hash_implementation_version == 9);
 
         for (wasm.base.options.objects) |obj| {
             _ = try man.addFile(obj.path, null);
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index f7afbe767b..b4778c1b00 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -889,14 +889,6 @@ fn buildOutputType(
     var link_objects = std.ArrayList(Compilation.LinkObject).init(gpa);
     defer link_objects.deinit();
 
-    // This map is a flag per link_objects item, used to represent the
-    // `-l :file.so` syntax from gcc/clang.
-    // This is only exposed from the `zig cc` interface. It means that the `path`
-    // field from the corresponding `link_objects` element is a suffix, and is
-    // to be tried against each library path as a prefix until an existing file is found.
-    // This map remains empty for the main CLI.
-    var link_objects_lib_search_paths: std.AutoHashMapUnmanaged(u32, void) = .{};
-
     var framework_dirs = std.ArrayList([]const u8).init(gpa);
     defer framework_dirs.deinit();
 
@@ -1627,14 +1619,15 @@ fn buildOutputType(
                         // We don't know whether this library is part of libc or libc++ until
                         // we resolve the target, so we simply append to the list for now.
                         if (mem.startsWith(u8, it.only_arg, ":")) {
-                            // This "feature" of gcc/clang means to treat this as a positional
-                            // link object, but using the library search directories as a prefix.
+                            // -l :path/to/filename is used when callers need
+                            // more control over what's in the resulting
+                            // binary: no extra rpaths and DSO filename exactly
+                            // as provided. Hello, Go.
                             try link_objects.append(.{
-                                .path = it.only_arg[1..],
+                                .path = it.only_arg,
                                 .must_link = must_link,
+                                .loption = true,
                             });
-                            const index = @intCast(u32, link_objects.items.len - 1);
-                            try link_objects_lib_search_paths.put(arena, index, {});
                         } else if (force_static_libs) {
                             try static_libs.append(it.only_arg);
                         } else {
@@ -2640,30 +2633,6 @@ fn buildOutputType(
         }
     }
 
-    // Resolve `-l :file.so` syntax from `zig cc`. We use a separate map for this data
-    // since this is an uncommon case.
-    {
-        var it = link_objects_lib_search_paths.iterator();
-        while (it.next()) |item| {
-            const link_object_i = item.key_ptr.*;
-            const suffix = link_objects.items[link_object_i].path;
-
-            for (lib_dirs.items) |lib_dir_path| {
-                const test_path = try fs.path.join(arena, &.{ lib_dir_path, suffix });
-                fs.cwd().access(test_path, .{}) catch |err| switch (err) {
-                    error.FileNotFound => continue,
-                    else => |e| fatal("unable to search for library '{s}': {s}", .{
-                        test_path, @errorName(e),
-                    }),
-                };
-                link_objects.items[link_object_i].path = test_path;
-                break;
-            } else {
-                fatal("library '{s}' not found", .{suffix});
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     const object_format = target_info.target.ofmt;
 
     if (output_mode == .Obj and (object_format == .coff or object_format == .macho)) {