diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 277839824d..7e82d467e9 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -107,8 +107,11 @@ endif
 if CURL_LT_SHLIB_USE_VERSIONED_SYMBOLS
 libcurl_la_LDFLAGS_EXTRA += -Wl,--version-script=libcurl.vers
 else
+# if symbol-hiding is enabled, hide them!
+if DOING_CURL_SYMBOL_HIDING
 libcurl_la_LDFLAGS_EXTRA += -export-symbols-regex '^curl_.*'
 endif
+endif
 
 if USE_CPPFLAG_CURL_STATICLIB
 libcurl_la_CPPFLAGS_EXTRA += -DCURL_STATICLIB