diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index e38dd91cdb9..55fa982fec1 100755
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@
 shared_optgroup.add_argument('--shared-gtest-libname',
     action='store',
     dest='shared_gtest_libname',
-    default='gtest',
+    default=None,
     help='alternative lib name to link to [default: %(default)s]')
 
 shared_optgroup.add_argument('--shared-gtest-libpath',
@@ -2198,7 +2198,7 @@ def configure_napi(output):
 def configure_library(lib, output, pkgname=None, libraries_key='libraries'):
   shared_lib = 'shared_' + lib
   output['variables']['node_' + shared_lib] = b(getattr(options, shared_lib))
-  libraries = output[libraries_key]
+  libraries = output[libraries_key] if libraries_key in output else output['variables'][libraries_key]
 
   if getattr(options, shared_lib):
     (pkg_libs, pkg_cflags, pkg_libpath, _) = pkg_config(pkgname or lib)
@@ -2977,7 +2977,7 @@ def make_bin_override():
 configure_library('cares', output, pkgname='libcares')
 # Only cctest uses gtest; keep it out of the node binary's link line.
 output['variables']['node_shared_gtest_libraries'] = []
-configure_library('gtest', output, 'node_shared_gtest_libraries')
+configure_library('gtest', output, ['gtest_main', 'gtest'], 'node_shared_gtest_libraries')
 configure_library('hdr_histogram', output)
 configure_library('highway', output, pkgname='libhwy')
 configure_library('merve', output)
diff --git a/node.gyp b/node.gyp
index a626477c380..a8ec3d5351a 100644
--- a/node.gyp
+++ b/node.gyp
@@ -1388,7 +1388,7 @@
           ],
         }],
         [ 'node_shared_gtest=="true"', {
-          'libraries': [ '-lgtest_main', '<@(node_shared_gtest_libraries)' ],
+          'libraries': [ '<@(node_shared_gtest_libraries)' ],
         }],
         [ 'node_use_bundled_v8!="false" and node_shared_abseil=="false"', {
           'dependencies': [ 'tools/v8_gypfiles/abseil.gyp:abseil' ],