diff --git a/src/pl/plperl/GNUmakefile b/src/pl/plperl/GNUmakefile
index 0846e60..230a882 100644
--- a/src/pl/plperl/GNUmakefile
+++ b/src/pl/plperl/GNUmakefile
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ endif # win32
 
 SHLIB_LINK = $(perl_embed_ldflags)
 
+# Force rpath to be used even though we disable it everywhere else
+SHLIB_LINK += $(rpath)
+
 REGRESS_OPTS = --dbname=$(PL_TESTDB) --load-extension=plperl  --load-extension=plperlu
 REGRESS = plperl plperl_lc plperl_trigger plperl_shared plperl_elog plperl_util plperl_init plperlu plperl_array
 # if Perl can support two interpreters in one backend,