diff --git a/tools/gold/README.txt b/tools/gold/README.txt
index 6427d09c770..92ee3d16afb 100644
--- a/tools/gold/README.txt
+++ b/tools/gold/README.txt
@@ -13,5 +13,9 @@ there configure binutils with "../src/configure --enable-gold --enable-plugins".
 Then build binutils with "make all-gold".
 
 To build the LLVMgold plugin, configure LLVM with the option
---with-binutils-include=/path/to/binutils/src/include/ . To use the
+--with-binutils-include=/path/to/binutils/src/include/ --enable-pic. To use the
 plugin, run "ld-new --plugin /path/to/libLLVMgold.so".
+Without PIC libLTO and libLLVMgold are not being built (because they would fail
+link on x86-64 with a relocation error: PIC and non-PIC can't be combined).
+As an alternative to passing --enable-pic, you can use 'make ENABLE_PIC=1' in
+your entire LLVM build.