diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 02e926d4b3cf29..4ae500f92c143d 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -802,7 +802,14 @@ def configure_node(o):
   o['variables']['node_use_v8_platform'] = b(not options.without_v8_platform)
   o['variables']['node_use_bundled_v8'] = b(not options.without_bundled_v8)
   node_module_version = getmoduleversion.get_version()
-  shlib_suffix = '%s.dylib' if sys.platform == 'darwin' else 'so.%s'
+
+  if sys.platform == 'darwin':
+    shlib_suffix = '%s.dylib'
+  elif sys.platform.startswith('aix'):
+    shlib_suffix = '%s.a'
+  else:
+    shlib_suffix = 'so.%s'
+
   shlib_suffix %= node_module_version
   o['variables']['node_module_version'] = int(node_module_version)
   o['variables']['shlib_suffix'] = shlib_suffix
diff --git a/node.gyp b/node.gyp
index 26a9f615d028aa..5b43361a6454e2 100644
--- a/node.gyp
+++ b/node.gyp
@@ -811,7 +811,15 @@
       'targets': [
         {
           'target_name': 'node',
-          'type': 'executable',
+          'conditions': [
+            ['node_shared=="true"', {
+              'type': 'shared_library',
+              'ldflags': ['--shared'],
+              'product_extension': '<(shlib_suffix)',
+            }, {
+              'type': 'executable',
+            }],
+          ],
           'dependencies': ['<(node_core_target_name)', 'node_exp'],
 
           'include_dirs': [