diff --git a/setuptools/_distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py b/setuptools/_distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
index 1008f58a15..ee2fe99c07 100644
--- a/setuptools/_distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
+++ b/setuptools/_distutils/tests/test_unixccompiler.py
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def gcv(v):
             elif v == 'GNULD':
                 return 'yes'
         sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
-        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-R/foo')
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R/foo')
 
         # non-GCC non-GNULD
         sys.platform = 'bar'
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def gcv(v):
             elif v == 'GNULD':
                 return 'no'
         sysconfig.get_config_var = gcv
-        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-R/foo')
+        self.assertEqual(self.cc.rpath_foo(), '-Wl,-R/foo')
 
     @unittest.skipIf(sys.platform == 'win32', "can't test on Windows")
     def test_cc_overrides_ldshared(self):
diff --git a/setuptools/_distutils/unixccompiler.py b/setuptools/_distutils/unixccompiler.py
index 349cc1642b..a07e598890 100644
--- a/setuptools/_distutils/unixccompiler.py
+++ b/setuptools/_distutils/unixccompiler.py
@@ -245,23 +245,16 @@ def runtime_library_dir_option(self, dir):
             if self._is_gcc(compiler):
                 return ["-Wl,+s", "-L" + dir]
             return ["+s", "-L" + dir]
+
+        # For all compilers, `-Wl` is the presumed way to
+        # pass a compiler option to the linker and `-R` is
+        # the way to pass an RPATH.
+        if sysconfig.get_config_var("GNULD") == "yes":
+            # GNU ld needs an extra option to get a RUNPATH
+            # instead of just an RPATH.
+            return "-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R" + dir
         else:
-            if self._is_gcc(compiler):
-                # gcc on non-GNU systems does not need -Wl, but can
-                # use it anyway.  Since distutils has always passed in
-                # -Wl whenever gcc was used in the past it is probably
-                # safest to keep doing so.
-                if sysconfig.get_config_var("GNULD") == "yes":
-                    # GNU ld needs an extra option to get a RUNPATH
-                    # instead of just an RPATH.
-                    return "-Wl,--enable-new-dtags,-R" + dir
-                else:
-                    return "-Wl,-R" + dir
-            else:
-                # No idea how --enable-new-dtags would be passed on to
-                # ld if this system was using GNU ld.  Don't know if a
-                # system like this even exists.
-                return "-R" + dir
+            return "-Wl,-R" + dir
 
     def library_option(self, lib):
         return "-l" + lib
diff --git a/setuptools/_distutils/util.py b/setuptools/_distutils/util.py
index 64f06dd4bc..afc23c4e23 100644
--- a/setuptools/_distutils/util.py
+++ b/setuptools/_distutils/util.py
@@ -134,14 +134,14 @@ def get_macosx_target_ver():
     """Return the version of macOS for which we are building.
 
     The target version defaults to the version in sysconfig latched at time
-    the Python interpreter was built, unless overriden by an environment
+    the Python interpreter was built, unless overridden by an environment
     variable. If neither source has a value, then None is returned"""
 
     syscfg_ver = get_macosx_target_ver_from_syscfg()
     env_ver = os.environ.get(MACOSX_VERSION_VAR)
 
     if env_ver:
-        # Validate overriden version against sysconfig version, if have both.
+        # Validate overridden version against sysconfig version, if have both.
         # Ensure that the deployment target of the build process is not less
         # than 10.3 if the interpreter was built for 10.3 or later.  This
         # ensures extension modules are built with correct compatibility