diff --git a/src/gen_rules.ml b/src/gen_rules.ml
index 46cc34aa8fa..385881a28d8 100644
--- a/src/gen_rules.ml
+++ b/src/gen_rules.ml
@@ -412,16 +412,27 @@ module Gen(P : Params) = struct
      | Executables stuff                                               |
      +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ *)
 
-  let build_exe ~js_of_ocaml ~flags ~dir ~requires ~name ~mode ~modules ~dep_graph
+  let build_exe ~js_of_ocaml ~flags ~dir ~requires ~name ~mode ~binary_kind ~modules ~dep_graph
         ~link_flags ~force_custom_bytecode =
-    let exe_ext = Mode.exe_ext mode in
     let mode, link_flags, compiler =
       match force_custom_bytecode, Context.compiler ctx mode with
       | false, Some compiler -> (mode, link_flags, compiler)
       | _                    -> (Byte, "-custom" :: link_flags, ctx.ocamlc)
     in
     let dep_graph = Ml_kind.Dict.get dep_graph Impl in
-    let exe = Path.relative dir (name ^ exe_ext) in
+    let extension=
+      match binary_kind with
+      | Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.Executable -> Mode.exe_ext mode
+      | Object -> (Mode.exe_ext mode) ^ ".o"
+      | Shared_object -> (if mode = Byte then ".bc" else "") ^ ctx.ext_dll
+    in
+    let specific_flags =
+      match binary_kind with
+      | Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.Executable -> []
+      | Object -> ["-output-complete-obj"]
+      | Shared_object ->  ["-output-complete-obj";"-runtime-variant";"_pic"]
+    in
+    let target = Path.relative dir (name ^ extension) in
     let libs_and_cm =
       Build.fanout
         (requires
@@ -440,13 +451,14 @@ module Gen(P : Params) = struct
        Build.run ~context:ctx
          (Dep compiler)
          [ Ocaml_flags.get flags mode
-         ; A "-o"; Target exe
+         ; As specific_flags
+         ; A "-o"; Target target
          ; As link_flags
          ; Dyn (fun (libs, _) -> Lib.link_flags libs ~mode)
          ; Dyn (fun (_, cm_files) -> Deps cm_files)
          ]);
-    if mode = Mode.Byte then
-      let rules = Js_of_ocaml_rules.build_exe sctx ~dir ~js_of_ocaml ~src:exe in
+    if mode = Byte && binary_kind = Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.Executable then
+      let rules = Js_of_ocaml_rules.build_exe sctx ~dir ~js_of_ocaml ~src:target in
       SC.add_rules sctx (List.map rules ~f:(fun r -> libs_and_cm >>> r))
 
   let executables_rules (exes : Executables.t) ~dir ~all_modules ~scope =
@@ -492,10 +504,12 @@ module Gen(P : Params) = struct
       ~requires ~alias_module:None;
 
     List.iter exes.names ~f:(fun name ->
-      List.iter Mode.all ~f:(fun mode ->
-        build_exe ~js_of_ocaml:exes.buildable.js_of_ocaml ~flags ~dir ~requires ~name
-          ~mode ~modules ~dep_graph ~link_flags:exes.link_flags
-          ~force_custom_bytecode:(mode = Native && not exes.modes.native)));
+      List.iter (Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.to_list exes.modes)
+        ~f:(fun (mode,binary_kind) ->
+          build_exe ~js_of_ocaml:exes.buildable.js_of_ocaml ~flags ~dir ~requires ~name
+            ~mode ~binary_kind ~modules ~dep_graph ~link_flags:exes.link_flags
+            ~force_custom_bytecode:false (* mode = Native && not exes.modes.native *)));
+
     { Merlin.
       requires   = real_requires
     ; flags      = flags.common
diff --git a/src/jbuild.ml b/src/jbuild.ml
index e3b102b10fc..0dbd613326a 100644
--- a/src/jbuild.ml
+++ b/src/jbuild.ml
@@ -632,11 +632,12 @@ module Install_conf = struct
 end
 
 module Executables = struct
+
   type t =
     { names            : string list
     ; link_executables : bool
     ; link_flags       : string list
-    ; modes            : Mode.Dict.Set.t
+    ; modes            : Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.t
     ; buildable        : Buildable.t
     }
 
@@ -644,9 +645,10 @@ module Executables = struct
     Buildable.v1 >>= fun buildable ->
     field   "link_executables"   bool ~default:true >>= fun link_executables ->
     field   "link_flags"         (list string) ~default:[] >>= fun link_flags ->
-    map_validate (field "modes" Mode.Dict.Set.t ~default:Mode.Dict.Set.all)
+    map_validate (field "modes" Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.t
+                    ~default:Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.default)
       ~f:(fun modes ->
-        if Mode.Dict.Set.is_empty modes then
+        if Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.is_empty modes then
           Error "No compilation mode defined."
         else
           Ok modes)
@@ -660,13 +662,16 @@ module Executables = struct
       }
     in
     let to_install =
-      let ext = if modes.native then ".exe" else ".bc" in
-      List.map2 names public_names
-        ~f:(fun name pub ->
-          match pub with
-          | None -> None
-          | Some pub -> Some ({ Install_conf. src = name ^ ext; dst = Some pub }))
-      |> List.filter_map ~f:(fun x -> x)
+      match Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.best_executable_mode t.modes with
+      | None -> []
+      | Some best_mode ->
+        let ext = if best_mode = Native then ".exe" else ".bc" in
+        List.map2 names public_names
+          ~f:(fun name pub ->
+            match pub with
+            | None -> None
+            | Some pub -> Some ({ Install_conf. src = name ^ ext; dst = Some pub }))
+        |> List.filter_map ~f:(fun x -> x)
     in
     match to_install with
     | [] ->
diff --git a/src/jbuild.mli b/src/jbuild.mli
index 711aa064b3d..f5ec75b65f9 100644
--- a/src/jbuild.mli
+++ b/src/jbuild.mli
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ module Executables : sig
     { names            : string list
     ; link_executables : bool
     ; link_flags       : string list
-    ; modes            : Mode.Dict.Set.t
+    ; modes            : Mode.Dict.Binary_Kind_Set.t
     ; buildable        : Buildable.t
     }
 end
diff --git a/src/mode.ml b/src/mode.ml
index af929064b48..1985962824a 100644
--- a/src/mode.ml
+++ b/src/mode.ml
@@ -75,4 +75,56 @@ module Dict = struct
       if t.byte   then f Byte;
       if t.native then f Native
   end
+
+  module Binary_Kind_Set = struct
+    type binary_kind =
+      | Executable
+      | Object
+      | Shared_object
+
+    let binary_kind =
+      let open Sexp.Of_sexp in
+      enum
+        [ "executable"    , Executable
+        ; "object"        , Object
+        ; "shared_object" , Shared_object
+        ]
+
+    type nonrec t = binary_kind list t
+
+    let default =
+      { byte   = [Executable]
+      ; native = [Executable]
+      }
+
+    let all_binary_kind = [Executable; Object; Shared_object]
+    let all =
+      { byte   = all_binary_kind
+      ; native = all_binary_kind
+      }
+
+    let to_list t =
+      (List.map t.native ~f:(fun x -> Native,x)) @
+      (List.map t.byte ~f:(fun x -> Byte,x))
+
+    let of_list l =
+      let byte, native = List.partition_map ~f:(fun (m,x) -> if m=Byte then Inr x else Inl x) l in
+      { byte
+      ; native
+      }
+
+    let t : t Sexp.Of_sexp.t = fun sexp -> of_list (Sexp.Of_sexp.list (Sexp.Of_sexp.pair t binary_kind) sexp)
+
+    let is_empty t = t.byte = [] && t.native = []
+
+    let iter t ~f =
+      List.iter ~f (to_list t)
+
+    let best_executable_mode t =
+      if List.mem ~set:t.native Executable then Some Native
+      else if List.mem ~set:t.byte Executable then Some Byte
+      else None
+  end
+
+
 end
diff --git a/src/mode.mli b/src/mode.mli
index e37ec9b7994..8ac5dacc9f7 100644
--- a/src/mode.mli
+++ b/src/mode.mli
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ module Dict : sig
   val map2 : 'a t -> 'b t -> f:('a -> 'b -> 'c) -> 'c t
 
   module Set : sig
+
     type nonrec t = bool t
     val t : t Sexp.Of_sexp.t
     val all : t
@@ -38,4 +39,24 @@ module Dict : sig
     val of_list : mode list -> t
     val iter : t -> f:(mode -> unit) -> unit
   end
+
+  module Binary_Kind_Set : sig
+
+    type binary_kind =
+      | Executable
+      | Object
+      | Shared_object
+
+    type nonrec t = binary_kind list t
+    val t : t Sexp.Of_sexp.t
+    val default : t
+    val all : t
+    val is_empty : t -> bool
+    val to_list : t -> (mode * binary_kind) list
+    val of_list : (mode * binary_kind) list -> t
+    val iter : t -> f:((mode * binary_kind) -> unit) -> unit
+    val best_executable_mode : t -> mode option
+  end
+
+
 end with type mode := t
diff --git a/test/jbuild b/test/jbuild
index 0265ed506b7..30a4e63807d 100644
--- a/test/jbuild
+++ b/test/jbuild
@@ -104,3 +104,12 @@
   (deps ((alias sleep5)
          (alias sleep4-and-fail)
          (alias sleep1-and-fail)))))
+
+
+(alias
+ ((name runtest)
+  (deps ((files_recursively_in workspaces/output_obj)))
+  (action
+   (chdir workspaces/output_obj
+    (run ${exe:run.exe} --
+     ${bin:jbuilder} build -j1 --root . @all )))))
diff --git a/test/workspaces/output_obj/jbuild b/test/workspaces/output_obj/jbuild
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d015b98b0a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/workspaces/output_obj/jbuild
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+(alias (
+   (name all)
+   (deps (test.exe test.bc test.exe.o test.so stub))
+))
+
+(executable (
+   (name test)
+   (modes ((byte executable)(native executable)
+           (byte object)(native object)
+           (byte shared_object)(native shared_object)))
+))
+
+(rule (
+   (targets (stub))
+   (deps (stub.c test.exe.o test.so))
+   (action (run cc -o stub -I ${ocaml_where} -I . -ltest stub.c))
+))
diff --git a/test/workspaces/output_obj/stub.c b/test/workspaces/output_obj/stub.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e2115895a2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/workspaces/output_obj/stub.c
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include <caml/mlvalues.h>
+#include <caml/alloc.h>
+#include <caml/callback.h>
+#include <caml/memory.h>
+
+int main(char ** argv){
+
+  caml_startup(argv);
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/test/workspaces/output_obj/test.ml b/test/workspaces/output_obj/test.ml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b2106fd5051
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/workspaces/output_obj/test.ml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+let () = print_string "Test!!"