diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/creader.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/creader.rs
index a2203f0a3998a..d069c95c5ec9d 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/creader.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/creader.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ pub fn read_crates(diag: span_handler,
             visit_view_item: |a| visit_view_item(e, a),
             visit_item: |a| visit_item(e, a),
             .. *visit::default_simple_visitor()});
+    visit_crate(e, crate);
     visit::visit_crate(crate, (), v);
     dump_crates(e.crate_cache);
     warn_if_multiple_versions(e, diag, e.crate_cache);
@@ -125,6 +126,20 @@ struct Env {
     intr: @ident_interner
 }
 
+fn visit_crate(e: @mut Env, c: ast::crate) {
+    let cstore = e.cstore;
+    let link_args = attr::find_attrs_by_name(c.node.attrs, "link_args");
+
+    for link_args.each |a| {
+        match attr::get_meta_item_value_str(attr::attr_meta(*a)) {
+          Some(ref linkarg) => {
+            cstore::add_used_link_args(cstore, (/*bad*/copy *linkarg));
+          }
+          None => {/* fallthrough */ }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn visit_view_item(e: @mut Env, i: @ast::view_item) {
     match /*bad*/copy i.node {
       ast::view_item_use(ident, meta_items, id) => {
@@ -181,7 +196,7 @@ fn visit_item(e: @mut Env, i: @ast::item) {
         for link_args.each |a| {
             match attr::get_meta_item_value_str(attr::attr_meta(*a)) {
               Some(ref linkarg) => {
-                cstore::add_used_link_args(cstore, (/*bad*/copy *linkarg));
+                cstore::add_used_link_args(cstore, *linkarg);
               }
               None => {/* fallthrough */ }
             }
diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/cstore.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/cstore.rs
index 73ec872b6a6ec..84a588e48860c 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/cstore.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/cstore.rs
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ pub fn get_used_libraries(cstore: @mut CStore) -> ~[~str] {
     return /*bad*/copy cstore.used_libraries;
 }
 
-pub fn add_used_link_args(cstore: @mut CStore, args: ~str) {
+pub fn add_used_link_args(cstore: @mut CStore, args: &str) {
     cstore.used_link_args.push_all(str::split_char(args, ' '));
 }