diff --git a/scratch/CMakeLists.txt b/scratch/CMakeLists.txt
index 3a269b22d..baf55ace9 100644
--- a/scratch/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/scratch/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ function(create_scratch source_files)
     )
   else()
     target_link_libraries(
-      ${target_prefix}${scratch_name} "${ns3-libs}" "${ns3-contrib-libs}"
-      "${ns3-external-libs}"
+      ${target_prefix}${scratch_name} ${LIB_AS_NEEDED_PRE} "${ns3-libs}" "${ns3-contrib-libs}"
+      "${ns3-external-libs}" ${LIB_AS_NEEDED_POST}
     )
   endif()
   set_runtime_outputdirectory(