diff --git a/src/lib/ecore/ecore.c b/src/lib/ecore/ecore.c
index d7eead345d..6c326a7f3c 100644
--- a/src/lib/ecore/ecore.c
+++ b/src/lib/ecore/ecore.c
@@ -210,6 +210,9 @@ ecore_init(void)
    if (++_ecore_init_count != 1)
      return _ecore_init_count;
 
+   /* make sure libecore is linked to libefl - workaround gcc bug */
+   __efl_internal_init();
+
    setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "");
    /*
       if (strcmp(nl_langinfo(CODESET), "UTF-8"))
diff --git a/src/lib/efl/Efl.h b/src/lib/efl/Efl.h
index 2002ebc7e8..4cc909aa5c 100644
--- a/src/lib/efl/Efl.h
+++ b/src/lib/efl/Efl.h
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ typedef Efl_Gfx_Path_Command_Type Efl_Gfx_Path_Command;
 
 #endif
 
+/* work-around bug in gcc --as-needed link optimization */
+EAPI void __efl_internal_init(void);
+
 #if defined ( __cplusplus )
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/lib/efl/interfaces/efl_interfaces_main.c b/src/lib/efl/interfaces/efl_interfaces_main.c
index 908e2287df..68ff6f315c 100644
--- a/src/lib/efl/interfaces/efl_interfaces_main.c
+++ b/src/lib/efl/interfaces/efl_interfaces_main.c
@@ -37,3 +37,9 @@ EAPI const Eo_Event_Description _EFL_GFX_PATH_CHANGED =
 #include "interfaces/efl_animator.eo.c"
 #include "interfaces/efl_orientation.eo.c"
 #include "interfaces/efl_flip.eo.c"
+
+EAPI void
+__efl_internal_init(void)
+{
+   /* nothing to do, the symbol only is required for link to work */
+}