diff --git a/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/back/linker.rs b/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/back/linker.rs
index 8fc83908efbcc..6b1801e98bc38 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/back/linker.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/back/linker.rs
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ use std::{env, io, iter, mem, str};
 
 use cc::windows_registry;
 use rustc_hir::def_id::{CrateNum, LOCAL_CRATE};
-use rustc_metadata::{
-    find_native_static_library, try_find_native_dynamic_library, try_find_native_static_library,
-};
+use rustc_metadata::{try_find_native_dynamic_library, try_find_native_static_library};
 use rustc_middle::bug;
 use rustc_middle::middle::dependency_format::Linkage;
 use rustc_middle::middle::exported_symbols;
@@ -615,15 +613,15 @@ impl<'a> Linker for GccLinker<'a> {
     }
 
     fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, verbatim: bool, whole_archive: bool) {
+        if let Some(path) = try_find_native_static_library(self.sess, name, verbatim) {
+            return self.link_staticlib_by_path(&path, whole_archive);
+        }
         self.hint_static();
         let colon = if verbatim && self.is_gnu { ":" } else { "" };
         if !whole_archive {
             self.link_or_cc_arg(format!("-l{colon}{name}"));
         } else if self.sess.target.is_like_darwin {
-            // -force_load is the macOS equivalent of --whole-archive, but it
-            // involves passing the full path to the library to link.
-            self.link_arg("-force_load");
-            self.link_arg(find_native_static_library(name, verbatim, self.sess));
+            self.link_args(&["-force_load", name]);
         } else {
             self.link_arg("--whole-archive")
                 .link_or_cc_arg(format!("-l{colon}{name}"))
@@ -956,15 +954,12 @@ impl<'a> Linker for MsvcLinker<'a> {
     }
 
     fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, verbatim: bool, whole_archive: bool) {
-        // On MSVC-like targets rustc supports static libraries using alternative naming
-        // scheme (`libfoo.a`) unsupported by linker, search for such libraries manually.
         if let Some(path) = try_find_native_static_library(self.sess, name, verbatim) {
-            self.link_staticlib_by_path(&path, whole_archive);
-        } else {
-            let opts = if whole_archive { "/WHOLEARCHIVE:" } else { "" };
-            let (prefix, suffix) = self.sess.staticlib_components(verbatim);
-            self.link_arg(format!("{opts}{prefix}{name}{suffix}"));
+            return self.link_staticlib_by_path(&path, whole_archive);
         }
+        let opts = if whole_archive { "/WHOLEARCHIVE:" } else { "" };
+        let (prefix, suffix) = self.sess.staticlib_components(verbatim);
+        self.link_arg(format!("{opts}{prefix}{name}{suffix}"));
     }
 
     fn link_staticlib_by_path(&mut self, path: &Path, whole_archive: bool) {
@@ -1193,7 +1188,10 @@ impl<'a> Linker for EmLinker<'a> {
         self.link_or_cc_arg(path);
     }
 
-    fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, _verbatim: bool, _whole_archive: bool) {
+    fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, verbatim: bool, whole_archive: bool) {
+        if let Some(path) = try_find_native_static_library(self.sess, name, verbatim) {
+            return self.link_staticlib_by_path(&path, whole_archive);
+        }
         self.link_or_cc_args(&["-l", name]);
     }
 
@@ -1359,7 +1357,10 @@ impl<'a> Linker for WasmLd<'a> {
         self.link_or_cc_arg(path);
     }
 
-    fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, _verbatim: bool, whole_archive: bool) {
+    fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, verbatim: bool, whole_archive: bool) {
+        if let Some(path) = try_find_native_static_library(self.sess, name, verbatim) {
+            return self.link_staticlib_by_path(&path, whole_archive);
+        }
         if !whole_archive {
             self.link_or_cc_args(&["-l", name]);
         } else {
@@ -1493,7 +1494,10 @@ impl<'a> Linker for L4Bender<'a> {
     ) {
     }
 
-    fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, _verbatim: bool, whole_archive: bool) {
+    fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, verbatim: bool, whole_archive: bool) {
+        if let Some(path) = try_find_native_static_library(self.sess, name, verbatim) {
+            return self.link_staticlib_by_path(&path, whole_archive);
+        }
         self.hint_static();
         if !whole_archive {
             self.link_arg(format!("-PC{name}"));
@@ -1667,12 +1671,15 @@ impl<'a> Linker for AixLinker<'a> {
     }
 
     fn link_staticlib_by_name(&mut self, name: &str, verbatim: bool, whole_archive: bool) {
+        if let Some(path) = try_find_native_static_library(self.sess, name, verbatim) {
+            return self.link_staticlib_by_path(&path, whole_archive);
+        }
         self.hint_static();
         if !whole_archive {
             self.link_or_cc_arg(if verbatim { String::from(name) } else { format!("-l{name}") });
         } else {
             let mut arg = OsString::from("-bkeepfile:");
-            arg.push(find_native_static_library(name, verbatim, self.sess));
+            arg.push(name);
             self.link_or_cc_arg(arg);
         }
     }
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/native_libs.rs b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/native_libs.rs
index f10d71f4c6540..a7abde3506db6 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/native_libs.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/native_libs.rs
@@ -96,13 +96,14 @@ pub fn try_find_native_static_library(
     verbatim: bool,
 ) -> Option<PathBuf> {
     let default = sess.staticlib_components(verbatim);
+    let unix = ("lib", ".a");
     let formats = if verbatim {
         vec![default]
+    } else if default != unix && sess.target.is_like_msvc {
+        // On Windows MSVC naming scheme `libfoo.a` is used as a fallback from default `foo.lib`.
+        vec![default, unix]
     } else {
-        // On Windows, static libraries sometimes show up as libfoo.a and other
-        // times show up as foo.lib
-        let unix = ("lib", ".a");
-        if default == unix { vec![default] } else { vec![default, unix] }
+        vec![default]
     };
 
     walk_native_lib_search_dirs(sess, None, |dir, is_framework| {
diff --git a/src/doc/rustc/src/command-line-arguments.md b/src/doc/rustc/src/command-line-arguments.md
index d45ad1be27b8c..785203e36813a 100644
--- a/src/doc/rustc/src/command-line-arguments.md
+++ b/src/doc/rustc/src/command-line-arguments.md
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ The name used in a `link` attribute may be overridden using the form `-l
 ATTR_NAME:LINK_NAME` where `ATTR_NAME` is the name in the `link` attribute,
 and `LINK_NAME` is the name of the actual library that will be linked.
 
+The compiler may attempt to search for the library in native library search directories
+(controlled by `-L`), and pass it to linker by full path if the search is successful.
+Otherwise the library will be passed to linker by name, so it can perform its own search.
+In some cases this enables use of alternative library naming schemes or `+verbatim` modifier
+even if they are not natively supported by linker.
+
 [link-attribute]: ../reference/items/external-blocks.html#the-link-attribute
 
 ### Linking modifiers: `whole-archive`
diff --git a/tests/run-make/native-link-modifier-bundle/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/native-link-modifier-bundle/rmake.rs
index 058b66b15f12f..b246d8bcc3edd 100644
--- a/tests/run-make/native-link-modifier-bundle/rmake.rs
+++ b/tests/run-make/native-link-modifier-bundle/rmake.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ fn main() {
             .crate_type("cdylib")
             .print("link-args")
             .run()
-            .assert_stdout_not_contains(r#"-l[" ]*native-staticlib"#);
+            .assert_stdout_not_contains("libnative-staticlib.a");
         llvm_nm()
             .input(dynamic_lib_name("cdylib_bundled"))
             .run()
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ fn main() {
             .crate_type("cdylib")
             .print("link-args")
             .run()
-            .assert_stdout_contains_regex(r#"-l[" ]*native-staticlib"#);
+            .assert_stdout_contains_regex(r"libnative-staticlib.a");
         llvm_nm()
             .input(dynamic_lib_name("cdylib_non_bundled"))
             .run()
diff --git a/tests/run-make/native-link-modifier-verbatim-linker/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/native-link-modifier-verbatim-linker/rmake.rs
index 4fb0690531a10..0cc2073c68368 100644
--- a/tests/run-make/native-link-modifier-verbatim-linker/rmake.rs
+++ b/tests/run-make/native-link-modifier-verbatim-linker/rmake.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@
 // See https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/99425
 
 //@ ignore-cross-compile
-//@ ignore-apple
-//@ ignore-wasm
-// Reason: linking fails due to the unusual ".ext" staticlib name.
 
 use run_make_support::rustc;
 
diff --git a/tests/run-make/rlib-format-packed-bundled-libs-3/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/rlib-format-packed-bundled-libs-3/rmake.rs
index 67e839bec703d..9026165671aa4 100644
--- a/tests/run-make/rlib-format-packed-bundled-libs-3/rmake.rs
+++ b/tests/run-make/rlib-format-packed-bundled-libs-3/rmake.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use run_make_support::{
 //@ only-linux
 // Reason: differences in the native lib compilation process causes differences
 // in the --print link-args output
+// FIXME: The test actually passes on windows-gnu, enable it there.
 
 fn main() {
     build_native_static_lib("native_dep_1");
@@ -77,8 +78,10 @@ fn main() {
         .stdout_utf8();
 
     let re = regex::Regex::new(
-"--whole-archive.*native_dep_1.*--whole-archive.*lnative_dep_2.*no-whole-archive.*lnative_dep_4"
-    ).unwrap();
+        "--whole-archive.*native_dep_1.*--whole-archive.*libnative_dep_2.a\
+                                .*no-whole-archive.*libnative_dep_4.a",
+    )
+    .unwrap();
 
     assert!(re.is_match(&out));
 }