diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/openldap/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/openldap/package.py
index 89d190ae27..6c7c6a79db 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/openldap/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/openldap/package.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class Openldap(AutotoolsPackage):
     @when('+client_only')
     def configure_args(self):
         return ['CPPFLAGS=-D_GNU_SOURCE',
-                '--disable-static',
+                '--enable-static',
                 '--enable-dynamic',
                 '--disable-debug',
                 '--disable-slapd',
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def configure_args(self):
     def configure_args(self):
         # Ref: https://www.openldap.org/lists/openldap-technical/201009/msg00304.html
         args = ['CPPFLAGS=-D_GNU_SOURCE',  # fixes a build error, see Ref above
-                '--disable-static',
+                '--enable-static',
                 '--disable-debug',
                 '--with-cyrus-sasl',
                 '--enable-dynamic',