diff --git a/project/common.mk b/project/common.mk
index 0f638eb..275b69c 100644
--- a/project/common.mk
+++ b/project/common.mk
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ API_SRCS = \
 	src/driver/slbt_amain.c \
 	src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c \
 	src/driver/slbt_host_params.c \
+	src/driver/slbt_link_params.c \
 	src/driver/slbt_split_argv.c \
 	src/driver/slbt_version_info.c \
 	src/fallback/slbt_archive_import_mri.c \
diff --git a/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
index 8dd463d..57d8cef 100644
--- a/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
@@ -227,119 +227,6 @@ static int slbt_get_driver_ctx_fail(
 }
 
 
-static int slbt_init_link_params(struct slbt_driver_ctx_impl * ctx)
-{
-	const char * program;
-	const char * libname;
-	const char * prefix;
-	const char * base;
-	char *       dot;
-	bool         fmodule;
-	int          fderr;
-
-	fderr   = ctx->fdctx.fderr;
-	program = argv_program_name(ctx->cctx.targv[0]);
-	libname = 0;
-	prefix  = 0;
-	fmodule = false;
-
-	/* output */
-	if (!(ctx->cctx.output)) {
-		if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
-			slbt_dprintf(fderr,
-				"%s: error: output file must be "
-				"specified in link mode.\n",
-				program);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	/* executable? */
-	if (!(dot = strrchr(ctx->cctx.output,'.')))
-		if (!(ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODULE))
-			return 0;
-
-	/* todo: archive? library? wrapper? inlined function, avoid repetition */
-	if ((base = strrchr(ctx->cctx.output,'/')))
-		base++;
-	else
-		base = ctx->cctx.output;
-
-	/* archive? */
-	if (dot && !strcmp(dot,ctx->cctx.settings.arsuffix)) {
-		prefix = ctx->cctx.settings.arprefix;
-
-		if (!strncmp(prefix,base,strlen(prefix)))
-			libname = base;
-		else {
-			if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
-				slbt_dprintf(fderr,
-					"%s: error: output file prefix does "
-					"not match its (archive) suffix; "
-					"the expected prefix was '%s'\n",
-					program,prefix);
-			return -1;
-		}
-	}
-
-	/* library? */
-	else if (dot && !strcmp(dot,ctx->cctx.settings.dsosuffix)) {
-		prefix = ctx->cctx.settings.dsoprefix;
-
-		if (!strncmp(prefix,base,strlen(prefix))) {
-			libname = base;
-
-		} else if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODULE) {
-			libname = base;
-			fmodule = true;
-
-		} else {
-			if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
-				slbt_dprintf(fderr,
-					"%s: error: output file prefix does "
-					"not match its (shared library) suffix; "
-					"the expected prefix was '%s'\n",
-					program,prefix);
-			return -1;
-		}
-	}
-
-	/* wrapper? */
-	else if (dot && !strcmp(dot,".la")) {
-		prefix = ctx->cctx.settings.dsoprefix;
-
-		if (!strncmp(prefix,base,strlen(prefix))) {
-			libname = base;
-			fmodule = !!(ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODULE);
-		} else if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODULE) {
-			libname = base;
-			fmodule = true;
-		} else {
-			if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
-				slbt_dprintf(fderr,
-					"%s: error: output file prefix does "
-					"not match its (libtool wrapper) suffix; "
-					"the expected prefix was '%s'\n",
-					program,prefix);
-			return -1;
-		}
-	} else
-		return 0;
-
-	/* libname alloc */
-	if (!fmodule)
-		libname += strlen(prefix);
-
-	if (!(ctx->libname = strdup(libname)))
-		return -1;
-
-	if ((dot  = strrchr(ctx->libname,'.')))
-		*dot = 0;
-
-	ctx->cctx.libname = ctx->libname;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int slbt_driver_fail_incompatible_args(
 	int				fderr,
 	uint64_t			drvflags,
diff --git a/src/driver/slbt_link_params.c b/src/driver/slbt_link_params.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5ab706
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/driver/slbt_link_params.c
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+/*******************************************************************/
+/*  slibtool: a skinny libtool implementation, written in C        */
+/*  Copyright (C) 2016--2021  SysDeer Technologies, LLC            */
+/*  Released under the Standard MIT License; see COPYING.SLIBTOOL. */
+/*******************************************************************/
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+#include <slibtool/slibtool.h>
+#include "slibtool_version.h"
+#include "slibtool_driver_impl.h"
+#include "slibtool_errinfo_impl.h"
+
+
+int slbt_init_link_params(struct slbt_driver_ctx_impl * ctx)
+{
+	const char * program;
+	const char * libname;
+	const char * prefix;
+	const char * base;
+	char *       dot;
+	bool         fmodule;
+	int          fderr;
+
+	fderr   = ctx->fdctx.fderr;
+	program = slbt_program_name(ctx->cctx.targv[0]);
+	libname = 0;
+	prefix  = 0;
+	fmodule = false;
+
+	/* output */
+	if (!(ctx->cctx.output)) {
+		if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
+			slbt_dprintf(fderr,
+				"%s: error: output file must be "
+				"specified in link mode.\n",
+				program);
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	/* executable? */
+	if (!(dot = strrchr(ctx->cctx.output,'.')))
+		if (!(ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODULE))
+			return 0;
+
+	/* todo: archive? library? wrapper? inlined function, avoid repetition */
+	if ((base = strrchr(ctx->cctx.output,'/')))
+		base++;
+	else
+		base = ctx->cctx.output;
+
+	/* archive? */
+	if (dot && !strcmp(dot,ctx->cctx.settings.arsuffix)) {
+		prefix = ctx->cctx.settings.arprefix;
+
+		if (!strncmp(prefix,base,strlen(prefix)))
+			libname = base;
+		else {
+			if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
+				slbt_dprintf(fderr,
+					"%s: error: output file prefix does "
+					"not match its (archive) suffix; "
+					"the expected prefix was '%s'\n",
+					program,prefix);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* library? */
+	else if (dot && !strcmp(dot,ctx->cctx.settings.dsosuffix)) {
+		prefix = ctx->cctx.settings.dsoprefix;
+
+		if (!strncmp(prefix,base,strlen(prefix))) {
+			libname = base;
+
+		} else if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODULE) {
+			libname = base;
+			fmodule = true;
+
+		} else {
+			if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
+				slbt_dprintf(fderr,
+					"%s: error: output file prefix does "
+					"not match its (shared library) suffix; "
+					"the expected prefix was '%s'\n",
+					program,prefix);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* wrapper? */
+	else if (dot && !strcmp(dot,".la")) {
+		prefix = ctx->cctx.settings.dsoprefix;
+
+		if (!strncmp(prefix,base,strlen(prefix))) {
+			libname = base;
+			fmodule = !!(ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODULE);
+		} else if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_MODULE) {
+			libname = base;
+			fmodule = true;
+		} else {
+			if (ctx->cctx.drvflags & SLBT_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
+				slbt_dprintf(fderr,
+					"%s: error: output file prefix does "
+					"not match its (libtool wrapper) suffix; "
+					"the expected prefix was '%s'\n",
+					program,prefix);
+			return -1;
+		}
+	} else
+		return 0;
+
+	/* libname alloc */
+	if (!fmodule)
+		libname += strlen(prefix);
+
+	if (!(ctx->libname = strdup(libname)))
+		return -1;
+
+	if ((dot  = strrchr(ctx->libname,'.')))
+		*dot = 0;
+
+	ctx->cctx.libname = ctx->libname;
+
+	return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h b/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
index 282659e..52ccf9d 100644
--- a/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/slibtool_driver_impl.h
@@ -213,6 +213,9 @@ int slbt_init_host_params(
 void slbt_free_host_params(struct slbt_host_strs * host);
 
 
+int slbt_init_link_params(struct slbt_driver_ctx_impl * ctx);
+
+
 void slbt_init_flavor_settings(
 	struct slbt_common_ctx *	cctx,
 	const struct slbt_host_params * ahost,