diff --git a/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py b/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
index c1e57a01..a313da3e 100644
--- a/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
+++ b/distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
@@ -153,7 +153,10 @@ def gcv(v):
                 return 'yes'
 
         sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
-        assert self.cc.rpath_foo() == '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R/foo'
+        assert self.cc.rpath_foo() == [
+            '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags',
+            '-Wl,-rpath,/foo',
+        ]
 
         def gcv(v):
             if v == 'CC':
@@ -162,7 +165,10 @@ def gcv(v):
                 return 'yes'
 
         sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
-        assert self.cc.rpath_foo() == '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R/foo'
+        assert self.cc.rpath_foo() == [
+            '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags',
+            '-Wl,-rpath,/foo',
+        ]
 
         # GCC non-GNULD
         sys.platform = 'bar'
@@ -187,7 +193,10 @@ def gcv(v):
                 return 'yes'
 
         sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
-        assert self.cc.rpath_foo() == '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R/foo'
+        assert self.cc.rpath_foo() == [
+            '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags',
+            '-Wl,-rpath,/foo',
+        ]
 
         # non-GCC GNULD
         sys.platform = 'bar'
@@ -199,7 +208,10 @@ def gcv(v):
                 return 'yes'
 
         sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
-        assert self.cc.rpath_foo() == '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R/foo'
+        assert self.cc.rpath_foo() == [
+            '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags',
+            '-Wl,-rpath,/foo',
+        ]
 
         # non-GCC non-GNULD
         sys.platform = 'bar'
diff --git a/distutils/unixccompiler.py b/distutils/unixccompiler.py
index 294a16b7..d749fe25 100644
--- a/distutils/unixccompiler.py
+++ b/distutils/unixccompiler.py
@@ -310,13 +310,14 @@ def runtime_library_dir_option(self, dir):
                 "-L" + dir,
             ]
 
-        # For all compilers, `-Wl` is the presumed way to
-        # pass a compiler option to the linker and `-R` is
-        # the way to pass an RPATH.
+        # For all compilers, `-Wl` is the presumed way to pass a
+        # compiler option to the linker
         if sysconfig.get_config_var("GNULD") == "yes":
-            # GNU ld needs an extra option to get a RUNPATH
-            # instead of just an RPATH.
-            return "-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R" + dir
+            return [
+                # Force RUNPATH instead of RPATH
+                "-Wl,--enable-new-dtags",
+                "-Wl,-rpath," + dir,
+            ]
         else:
             return "-Wl,-R" + dir