diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index afde769..169ba75 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,9 +15,7 @@ Note, this library also provides a significant improvement on the default python
 
 *SUBNOTE:* There is also a minor 'bug' in that, since you don't specify header files like in a `Makefile`, it doesn't detect changes in header files. If this is annoying enough please post a bug, and I'll work out how to fix it without breaking the existing interface (which will be a minor pain).
 
-This module uses the *default python flags* for building sources, which includes all kinds of cruft that were generated in the makefile that compiled python itself. Do not use this for building straight C or C++ sources (at least, if you do, fork it and remove all the calls to `distutils.sysconfig` functions.)
-
-note, also, that the `arch` argument is no longer passed to the compiler, as this is not compatible with some compilers, and is now only used in temp directory names. (if such a flag is required, it will be present in the `distutils.sysconfig` vars without further intervention.)
+This module uses the *default python flags* for building sources, which includes all kinds of cruft that were generated in the makefile that compiled python itself. Also, the `arch` argument is no longer passed to the compiler, as this is not compatible with some compilers, and is now only used in temp directory names. (if such a flag is required, it will be present in the `distutils.sysconfig` vars without further intervention.)
 
 note, finally, that this has been modified to act as a decorator for `distutils.core.setup`, see the examples of the new invocation style below.
 
diff --git a/cb/__init__.py b/cb/__init__.py
index 757e43c..8b7ec69 100644
--- a/cb/__init__.py
+++ b/cb/__init__.py
@@ -72,7 +72,12 @@ def _linker_vars(file_exts, link_to=None):
   runtime_libs = ""
   cxx = False
   if 'cpp' in file_exts:
-    linking_compiler = get_config_vars("LDCXXSHARED")[0]
+    tmp = get_config_vars("LDCXXSHARED")[0]
+    if tmp:
+      linking_compiler = tmp
+    else:
+      # if linking using the C compiler, make sure we also link against the C++ runtime.
+      runtime_libs = "-lstdc++"
     cxx = True
   if 'f90' in file_exts:
     if cxx: