diff --git a/package/Config.in b/package/Config.in
index fca61d6752..46c4ba4a21 100644
--- a/package/Config.in
+++ b/package/Config.in
@@ -362,7 +362,8 @@ source "package/jimtcl/Config.in"
 source "package/lua/Config.in"
 source "package/luainterpreter/Config.in"
 source "package/luajit/Config.in"
-if BR2_PACKAGE_HAS_LUA_INTERPRETER
+if BR2_PACKAGE_HAS_LUA_INTERPRETER && !BR2_PREFER_STATIC_LIB
+# lua modules are dynamically loaded, so not available on static builds
 menu "Lua libraries/modules"
 source "package/cgilua/Config.in"
 source "package/copas/Config.in"
diff --git a/package/lua/5.1.5/lua-02-shared-libs-for-lua.patch b/package/lua/5.1.5/lua-02-shared-libs-for-lua.patch
index bd40534aa7..3f863a530c 100644
--- a/package/lua/5.1.5/lua-02-shared-libs-for-lua.patch
+++ b/package/lua/5.1.5/lua-02-shared-libs-for-lua.patch
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 Add the compilation of a shared library.
 Compile the lua binary with the shared library.
 And install the shared library.
+The variable BUILDMODE allows to switch between static and dynamic mode.
 
 Signed-off-by: Francois Perrad <francois.perrad@gadz.org>
 
@@ -20,8 +21,8 @@ Index: b/Makefile
  install: dummy
  	cd src && $(MKDIR) $(INSTALL_BIN) $(INSTALL_INC) $(INSTALL_LIB) $(INSTALL_MAN) $(INSTALL_LMOD) $(INSTALL_CMOD)
  	cd src && $(INSTALL_EXEC) $(TO_BIN) $(INSTALL_BIN)
-+	cd src && $(INSTALL_EXEC) $(TO_SOLIB) $(INSTALL_LIB)
-+	ln -sf $(TO_SOLIB) $(INSTALL_LIB)/liblua.so
++	test -f src/$(TO_SOLIB) && cd src && $(INSTALL_EXEC) $(TO_SOLIB) $(INSTALL_LIB) || :
++	test -f src/$(TO_SOLIB) && ln -sf $(TO_SOLIB) $(INSTALL_LIB)/liblua.so || :
  	cd src && $(INSTALL_DATA) $(TO_INC) $(INSTALL_INC)
  	cd src && $(INSTALL_DATA) $(TO_LIB) $(INSTALL_LIB)
  	cd doc && $(INSTALL_DATA) $(TO_MAN) $(INSTALL_MAN)
@@ -37,18 +38,21 @@ Index: b/src/Makefile
  CORE_O=	lapi.o lcode.o ldebug.o ldo.o ldump.o lfunc.o lgc.o llex.o lmem.o \
  	lobject.o lopcodes.o lparser.o lstate.o lstring.o ltable.o ltm.o  \
  	lundump.o lvm.o lzio.o
-@@ -36,8 +37,9 @@
+@@ -36,8 +37,13 @@
  LUAC_O=	luac.o print.o
  
  ALL_O= $(CORE_O) $(LIB_O) $(LUA_O) $(LUAC_O)
--ALL_T= $(LUA_A) $(LUA_T) $(LUAC_T)
++ifneq (dynamic,$(BUILDMODE))
+ ALL_T= $(LUA_A) $(LUA_T) $(LUAC_T)
++else
 +ALL_T= $(LUA_A) $(LUA_SO) $(LUA_T) $(LUAC_T)
++endif
  ALL_A= $(LUA_A)
 +ALL_SO= $(LUA_SO)
  
  default: $(PLAT)
  
-@@ -47,12 +49,18 @@
+@@ -47,12 +53,23 @@
  
  a:	$(ALL_A)
  
@@ -58,14 +62,17 @@ Index: b/src/Makefile
  	$(AR) $@ $(CORE_O) $(LIB_O)	# DLL needs all object files
  	$(RANLIB) $@
  
--$(LUA_T): $(LUA_O) $(LUA_A)
--	$(CC) -o $@ $(MYLDFLAGS) $(LUA_O) $(LUA_A) $(LIBS)
 +$(LUA_SO): $(CORE_O) $(LIB_O)
 +	$(CC) -o $@.$(PKG_VERSION) -shared -Wl,-soname="$@.$(PKG_VERSION)" $?
 +	ln -fs $@.$(PKG_VERSION) $@
 +
++ifneq (dynamic,$(BUILDMODE))
+ $(LUA_T): $(LUA_O) $(LUA_A)
+ 	$(CC) -o $@ $(MYLDFLAGS) $(LUA_O) $(LUA_A) $(LIBS)
++else
 +$(LUA_T): $(LUA_O) $(LUA_SO)
 +	$(CC) -o $@ -L. $(MYLDFLAGS) $(LUA_O) -llua $(LIBS)
++endif
  
  $(LUAC_T): $(LUAC_O) $(LUA_A)
  	$(CC) -o $@ $(MYLDFLAGS) $(LUAC_O) $(LUA_A) $(LIBS)
diff --git a/package/lua/5.2.3/lua-02-shared-libs-for-lua.patch b/package/lua/5.2.3/lua-02-shared-libs-for-lua.patch
index cd8a5bf8e1..3cf3b24848 100644
--- a/package/lua/5.2.3/lua-02-shared-libs-for-lua.patch
+++ b/package/lua/5.2.3/lua-02-shared-libs-for-lua.patch
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 Add the compilation of a shared library.
 Compile the lua binary with the shared library.
 And install the shared library.
+The variable BUILDMODE allows to switch between static and dynamic mode.
 
 Signed-off-by: Francois Perrad <francois.perrad@gadz.org>
 
@@ -20,8 +21,8 @@ Index: b/Makefile
  install: dummy
  	cd src && $(MKDIR) $(INSTALL_BIN) $(INSTALL_INC) $(INSTALL_LIB) $(INSTALL_MAN) $(INSTALL_LMOD) $(INSTALL_CMOD)
  	cd src && $(INSTALL_EXEC) $(TO_BIN) $(INSTALL_BIN)
-+	cd src && $(INSTALL_EXEC) $(TO_SOLIB) $(INSTALL_LIB)
-+	ln -sf $(TO_SOLIB) $(INSTALL_LIB)/liblua.so
++	test -f src/$(TO_SOLIB) && cd src && $(INSTALL_EXEC) $(TO_SOLIB) $(INSTALL_LIB) || :
++	test -f src/$(TO_SOLIB) && ln -sf $(TO_SOLIB) $(INSTALL_LIB)/liblua.so || :
  	cd src && $(INSTALL_DATA) $(TO_INC) $(INSTALL_INC)
  	cd src && $(INSTALL_DATA) $(TO_LIB) $(INSTALL_LIB)
  	cd doc && $(INSTALL_DATA) $(TO_MAN) $(INSTALL_MAN)
@@ -37,18 +38,21 @@ Index: b/src/Makefile
  CORE_O=	lapi.o lcode.o lctype.o ldebug.o ldo.o ldump.o lfunc.o lgc.o llex.o \
  	lmem.o lobject.o lopcodes.o lparser.o lstate.o lstring.o ltable.o \
  	ltm.o lundump.o lvm.o lzio.o
-@@ -43,8 +44,9 @@
+@@ -43,8 +44,13 @@
  LUAC_O=	luac.o
  
  ALL_O= $(BASE_O) $(LUA_O) $(LUAC_O)
--ALL_T= $(LUA_A) $(LUA_T) $(LUAC_T)
++ifneq (dynamic,$(BUILDMODE))
+ ALL_T= $(LUA_A) $(LUA_T) $(LUAC_T)
++else
 +ALL_T= $(LUA_A) $(LUA_SO) $(LUA_T) $(LUAC_T)
++endif
  ALL_A= $(LUA_A)
 +ALL_SO= $(LUA_SO)
  
  # Targets start here.
  default: $(PLAT)
-@@ -55,12 +57,18 @@
+@@ -55,12 +61,23 @@
  
  a:	$(ALL_A)
  
@@ -58,14 +62,17 @@ Index: b/src/Makefile
  	$(AR) $@ $(BASE_O)
  	$(RANLIB) $@
  
--$(LUA_T): $(LUA_O) $(LUA_A)
--	$(CC) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS) $(LUA_O) $(LUA_A) $(LIBS)
 +$(LUA_SO): $(CORE_O) $(LIB_O)
 +	$(CC) -o $@.$(PKG_VERSION) -shared -Wl,-soname="$@.$(PKG_VERSION)" $?
 +	ln -fs $@.$(PKG_VERSION) $@
 +
++ifneq (dynamic,$(BUILDMODE))
+ $(LUA_T): $(LUA_O) $(LUA_A)
+ 	$(CC) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS) $(LUA_O) $(LUA_A) $(LIBS)
++else
 +$(LUA_T): $(LUA_O) $(LUA_SO)
 +	$(CC) -o $@ -L. $(LDFLAGS) $(LUA_O) -llua $(LIBS)
++endif
  
  $(LUAC_T): $(LUAC_O) $(LUA_A)
  	$(CC) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS) $(LUAC_O) $(LUA_A) $(LIBS)
diff --git a/package/lua/lua.mk b/package/lua/lua.mk
index c016d7e0e7..bf68e654f2 100644
--- a/package/lua/lua.mk
+++ b/package/lua/lua.mk
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ LUA_INSTALL_STAGING = YES
 LUA_LICENSE = MIT
 LUA_LICENSE_FILES = COPYRIGHT
 
-LUA_CFLAGS = -Wall -fPIC
-LUA_MYLIBS += -ldl
+LUA_CFLAGS = -Wall -fPIC -DLUA_USE_POSIX
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LUA_5_2),y)
 LUA_CFLAGS += -DLUA_COMPAT_ALL
@@ -24,17 +23,23 @@ LUA_CFLAGS += -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=32
 endif
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(BR2_PREFER_STATIC_LIB),y)
+	LUA_BUILDMODE = static
+else
+	LUA_BUILDMODE = dynamic
+	LUA_CFLAGS += -DLUA_USE_DLOPEN
+	LUA_MYLIBS += -ldl
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LUA_INTERPRETER_READLINE),y)
 	LUA_DEPENDENCIES = readline ncurses
 	LUA_MYLIBS += -lreadline -lhistory -lncurses
-	LUA_CFLAGS += -DLUA_USE_POSIX -DLUA_USE_DLOPEN -DLUA_USE_READLINE
+	LUA_CFLAGS += -DLUA_USE_READLINE
 else
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_LUA_INTERPRETER_LINENOISE),y)
 	LUA_DEPENDENCIES = linenoise
 	LUA_MYLIBS += -llinenoise
-	LUA_CFLAGS += -DLUA_USE_POSIX -DLUA_USE_DLOPEN -DLUA_USE_LINENOISE
-else
-	LUA_CFLAGS += -DLUA_USE_POSIX -DLUA_USE_DLOPEN
+	LUA_CFLAGS += -DLUA_USE_LINENOISE
 endif
 endif
 
@@ -53,6 +58,7 @@ define LUA_BUILD_CMDS
 	CC="$(TARGET_CC)" RANLIB="$(TARGET_RANLIB)" \
 	CFLAGS="$(TARGET_CFLAGS) $(LUA_CFLAGS)" \
 	MYLIBS="$(LUA_MYLIBS)" AR="$(TARGET_CROSS)ar rcu" \
+	BUILDMODE=$(LUA_BUILDMODE) \
 	PKG_VERSION=$(LUA_VERSION) -C $(@D)/src all
 endef
 
@@ -61,6 +67,7 @@ define HOST_LUA_BUILD_CMDS
 	CFLAGS="$(HOST_LUA_CFLAGS)" \
 	MYLDFLAGS="$(HOST_LDFLAGS)" \
 	MYLIBS="$(HOST_LUA_MYLIBS)" \
+	BUILDMODE=static \
 	PKG_VERSION=$(LUA_VERSION) -C $(@D)/src all
 endef