diff --git a/libcxx/docs/ReleaseNotes.rst b/libcxx/docs/ReleaseNotes.rst
--- a/libcxx/docs/ReleaseNotes.rst
+++ b/libcxx/docs/ReleaseNotes.rst
@@ -157,3 +157,9 @@
   .. code-block:: bash
 
       -DLLVM_RUNTIME_TARGETS=i386-unknown-linux
+
+- Libc++, libc++abi and libunwind will not be built with ``-fPIC`` by default anymore.
+  If you want to build those runtimes with position independent code, please specify
+  ``-DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON`` explicitly when configuring the build, or
+  ``-DRUNTIMES_<target-name>_CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON`` if using the
+  bootstrapping build.
diff --git a/libcxx/src/CMakeLists.txt b/libcxx/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/libcxx/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libcxx/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -208,7 +208,6 @@
       VERSION       "${LIBCXX_ABI_VERSION}.0"
       SOVERSION     "${LIBCXX_ABI_VERSION}"
       DEFINE_SYMBOL ""
-      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
   )
   cxx_add_common_build_flags(cxx_shared)
   cxx_set_common_defines(cxx_shared)
@@ -284,7 +283,6 @@
       COMPILE_FLAGS "${LIBCXX_COMPILE_FLAGS}"
       LINK_FLAGS    "${LIBCXX_LINK_FLAGS}"
       OUTPUT_NAME   "c++"
-      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
   )
   cxx_add_common_build_flags(cxx_static)
   cxx_set_common_defines(cxx_static)
diff --git a/libcxx/test/libcxx/debug/extern-templates.sh.cpp b/libcxx/test/libcxx/debug/extern-templates.sh.cpp
--- a/libcxx/test/libcxx/debug/extern-templates.sh.cpp
+++ b/libcxx/test/libcxx/debug/extern-templates.sh.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 // UNSUPPORTED: libcxx-no-debug-mode
 // UNSUPPORTED: libcpp-has-no-localization
+// UNSUPPORTED: cant-build-shared-library
 
 // This test relies on linking a shared library and then passing that shared
 // library as input when linking an executable; this is generally not supported
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@
 // UNSUPPORTED: windows
 
 // RUN: %{cxx} %{flags} %{compile_flags} %s %{link_flags} -fPIC -DTU1 -D_LIBCPP_DEBUG=1 -fvisibility=hidden -shared -o %t.lib
-// RUN: cd %T && %{cxx} %{flags} %{compile_flags} %s ./%basename_t.tmp.lib %{link_flags} -fPIC -DTU2 -D_LIBCPP_DEBUG=1 -fvisibility=hidden -o %t.exe
+// RUN: cd %T && %{cxx} %{flags} %{compile_flags} %s ./%basename_t.tmp.lib %{link_flags} -DTU2 -D_LIBCPP_DEBUG=1 -fvisibility=hidden -o %t.exe
 // RUN: %{exec} %t.exe
 
 #include <cassert>
diff --git a/libcxx/utils/libcxx/test/dsl.py b/libcxx/utils/libcxx/test/dsl.py
--- a/libcxx/utils/libcxx/test/dsl.py
+++ b/libcxx/utils/libcxx/test/dsl.py
@@ -112,18 +112,19 @@
       os.remove(tmp.name)
   return TestWrapper(suite, pathInSuite, config)
 
-@_memoizeExpensiveOperation(lambda c, s: (c.substitutions, c.environment, s))
-def sourceBuilds(config, source):
+@_memoizeExpensiveOperation(lambda c, s, f=[]: (c.substitutions, c.environment, s, f))
+def sourceBuilds(config, source, additionalFlags=[]):
   """
   Return whether the program in the given string builds successfully.
 
   This is done by compiling and linking a program that consists of the given
-  source with the %{cxx} substitution, and seeing whether that succeeds.
+  source with the %{cxx} substitution, and seeing whether that succeeds. If
+  any additional flags are passed, they are appended to the compiler invocation.
   """
   with _makeConfigTest(config) as test:
     with open(test.getSourcePath(), 'w') as sourceFile:
       sourceFile.write(source)
-    _, _, exitCode, _ = _executeScriptInternal(test, ['%{build}'])
+    _, _, exitCode, _ = _executeScriptInternal(test, ['%{{build}} {}'.format(' '.join(additionalFlags))])
     return exitCode == 0
 
 @_memoizeExpensiveOperation(lambda c, p, args=None: (c.substitutions, c.environment, p, args))
diff --git a/libcxx/utils/libcxx/test/features.py b/libcxx/utils/libcxx/test/features.py
--- a/libcxx/utils/libcxx/test/features.py
+++ b/libcxx/utils/libcxx/test/features.py
@@ -59,6 +59,19 @@
             int main(int, char**) { return x.is_lock_free(); }
           """)),
 
+  # Some tests rely on creating shared libraries which link in the C++ Standard Library. In some
+  # cases, this doesn't work (e.g. if the library was built as a static archive and wasn't compiled
+  # as position independent). This feature informs the test suite of whether it's possible to create
+  # a shared library in a shell test by using the '-shared' compiler flag.
+  #
+  # Note: To implement this check properly, we need to make sure that we use something inside the
+  # compiled library, not only in the headers. It should be safe to assume that all implementations
+  # define `operator new` in the compiled library.
+  Feature(name='cant-build-shared-library',
+          when=lambda cfg: not sourceBuilds(cfg, """
+            void f() { new int(3); }
+          """, ['-shared'])),
+
   Feature(name='apple-clang',                                                                                                      when=_isAppleClang),
   Feature(name=lambda cfg: 'apple-clang-{__clang_major__}'.format(**compilerMacros(cfg)),                                          when=_isAppleClang),
   Feature(name=lambda cfg: 'apple-clang-{__clang_major__}.{__clang_minor__}'.format(**compilerMacros(cfg)),                        when=_isAppleClang),
diff --git a/libcxxabi/src/CMakeLists.txt b/libcxxabi/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/libcxxabi/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libcxxabi/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -192,7 +192,6 @@
       SOVERSION "1"
       VERSION "${LIBCXXABI_LIBRARY_VERSION}"
       DEFINE_SYMBOL ""
-      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
   )
 
   list(APPEND LIBCXXABI_BUILD_TARGETS "cxxabi_shared")
@@ -245,7 +244,6 @@
       COMPILE_FLAGS "${LIBCXXABI_COMPILE_FLAGS}"
       LINK_FLAGS "${LIBCXXABI_LINK_FLAGS}"
       OUTPUT_NAME "c++abi"
-      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
     )
 
   if(LIBCXXABI_HERMETIC_STATIC_LIBRARY)
diff --git a/libunwind/src/CMakeLists.txt b/libunwind/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/libunwind/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libunwind/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -145,7 +145,6 @@
       OUTPUT_NAME "unwind"
       VERSION "1.0"
       SOVERSION "1"
-      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
   )
   list(APPEND LIBUNWIND_BUILD_TARGETS "unwind_shared")
   if (LIBUNWIND_INSTALL_SHARED_LIBRARY)
@@ -171,7 +170,6 @@
       LINK_FLAGS "${LIBUNWIND_LINK_FLAGS}"
       LINKER_LANGUAGE C
       OUTPUT_NAME "unwind"
-      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON
   )
 
   if(LIBUNWIND_HIDE_SYMBOLS)
diff --git a/llvm/utils/release/test-release.sh b/llvm/utils/release/test-release.sh
--- a/llvm/utils/release/test-release.sh
+++ b/llvm/utils/release/test-release.sh
@@ -386,12 +386,14 @@
     echo "#" env CC="$c_compiler" CXX="$cxx_compiler" \
         cmake -G "$generator" \
         -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BuildType -DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=$Assertions \
+        -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON \
         -DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS="$project_list" \
         $ExtraConfigureFlags $BuildDir/llvm-project/llvm \
         2>&1 | tee $LogDir/llvm.configure-Phase$Phase-$Flavor.log
     env CC="$c_compiler" CXX="$cxx_compiler" \
         cmake -G "$generator" \
         -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BuildType -DLLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS=$Assertions \
+        -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON \
         -DLLVM_ENABLE_PROJECTS="$project_list" \
         $ExtraConfigureFlags $BuildDir/llvm-project/llvm \
         2>&1 | tee $LogDir/llvm.configure-Phase$Phase-$Flavor.log