diff --git a/Modules/Setup.stdlib.in b/Modules/Setup.stdlib.in
index 338de84f09ebc0..2a6f451655a648 100644
--- a/Modules/Setup.stdlib.in
+++ b/Modules/Setup.stdlib.in
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@
 @MODULE__LZMA_TRUE@_lzma _lzmamodule.c
 @MODULE_ZLIB_TRUE@zlib zlibmodule.c
 
+# dbm/gdbm
+# dbm needs either libndbm, libgdbm_compat, or libdb 5.x
+# gdbm module needs -lgdbm
+@MODULE__GDBM_TRUE@_gdbm _gdbmmodule.c
+
 # hashing builtins, can be disabled with --without-builtin-hashlib-hashes
 @MODULE__MD5_TRUE@_md5 md5module.c
 @MODULE__SHA1_TRUE@_sha1 sha1module.c
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 148ef58b6a5b8a..f8cc1e61e6c809 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -654,6 +654,8 @@ MODULE__SQLITE3_FALSE
 MODULE__SQLITE3_TRUE
 MODULE_NIS_FALSE
 MODULE_NIS_TRUE
+MODULE__GDBM_FALSE
+MODULE__GDBM_TRUE
 MODULE__DECIMAL_FALSE
 MODULE__DECIMAL_TRUE
 MODULE__BLAKE2_FALSE
@@ -799,6 +801,8 @@ DTRACE_OBJS
 DTRACE_HEADERS
 DFLAGS
 DTRACE
+GDBM_LIBS
+GDBM_CFLAGS
 TCLTK_LIBS
 TCLTK_INCLUDES
 LIBSQLITE3_LIBS
@@ -1036,6 +1040,8 @@ LIBNSL_CFLAGS
 LIBNSL_LIBS
 LIBSQLITE3_CFLAGS
 LIBSQLITE3_LIBS
+GDBM_CFLAGS
+GDBM_LIBS
 ZLIB_CFLAGS
 ZLIB_LIBS
 BZIP2_CFLAGS
@@ -1822,6 +1828,8 @@ Some influential environment variables:
               C compiler flags for LIBSQLITE3, overriding pkg-config
   LIBSQLITE3_LIBS
               linker flags for LIBSQLITE3, overriding pkg-config
+  GDBM_CFLAGS C compiler flags for gdbm
+  GDBM_LIBS   additional linker flags for gdbm
   ZLIB_CFLAGS C compiler flags for ZLIB, overriding pkg-config
   ZLIB_LIBS   linker flags for ZLIB, overriding pkg-config
   BZIP2_CFLAGS
@@ -11644,8 +11652,17 @@ else
   TCLTK_LIBS="$with_tcltk_libs"
 fi
 
-# check for _gdbmmodulec dependencies
-for ac_header in gdbm.h
+
+
+save_CFLAGS=$CFLAGS
+save_CPPFLAGS=$CPPFLAGS
+save_LDFLAGS=$LDFLAGS
+save_LIBS=$LIBS
+
+
+  CPPFLAGS="$GDBM_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
+  LDFLAGS="$GDBM_LIBS $LDFLAGS"
+  for ac_header in gdbm.h
 do :
   ac_fn_c_check_header_mongrel "$LINENO" "gdbm.h" "ac_cv_header_gdbm_h" "$ac_includes_default"
 if test "x$ac_cv_header_gdbm_h" = xyes; then :
@@ -11653,8 +11670,7 @@ if test "x$ac_cv_header_gdbm_h" = xyes; then :
 #define HAVE_GDBM_H 1
 _ACEOF
 
-  LIBS_SAVE=$LIBS
-  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for gdbm_open in -lgdbm" >&5
+    { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for gdbm_open in -lgdbm" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for gdbm_open in -lgdbm... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_lib_gdbm_gdbm_open+:} false; then :
   $as_echo_n "(cached) " >&6
@@ -11691,21 +11707,29 @@ fi
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_gdbm_gdbm_open" >&5
 $as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_gdbm_gdbm_open" >&6; }
 if test "x$ac_cv_lib_gdbm_gdbm_open" = xyes; then :
-  cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
-#define HAVE_LIBGDBM 1
-_ACEOF
 
-  LIBS="-lgdbm $LIBS"
+      have_gdbm=yes
+      GDBM_LIBS="$GDBM_LIBS -lgdbm"
 
+else
+  have_gdbm=no
 fi
 
-  LIBS=$LIBS_SAVE
 
+else
+  have_gdbm=no
 fi
 
 done
 
 
+CFLAGS=$save_CFLAGS
+CPPFLAGS=$save_CPPFLAGS
+LDFLAGS=$save_LDFLAGS
+LIBS=$save_LIBS
+
+
+
 # check for _dbmmodule.c dependencies
 for ac_header in ndbm.h
 do :
@@ -11985,22 +12009,33 @@ $as_echo_n "checking for --with-dbmliborder... " >&6; }
 # Check whether --with-dbmliborder was given.
 if test "${with_dbmliborder+set}" = set; then :
   withval=$with_dbmliborder;
-if test x$with_dbmliborder = xyes
-then
-as_fn_error $? "proper usage is --with-dbmliborder=db1:db2:..." "$LINENO" 5
 else
-  as_save_IFS=$IFS
-  IFS=:
-  for db in $with_dbmliborder; do
-    if test x$db != xndbm && test x$db != xgdbm && test x$db != xbdb
-    then
-      as_fn_error $? "proper usage is --with-dbmliborder=db1:db2:..." "$LINENO" 5
-    fi
-  done
-  IFS=$as_save_IFS
-fi
+  with_dbmliborder=ndbm:gdbm:bdb
 fi
 
+
+have_gdbm_dbmliborder=no
+as_save_IFS=$IFS
+IFS=:
+for db in $with_dbmliborder; do
+    case $db in #(
+  ndbm) :
+     ;; #(
+  gdbm) :
+    have_gdbm_dbmliborder=yes ;; #(
+  bdb) :
+     ;; #(
+  *) :
+    with_dbmliborder=error
+     ;;
+esac
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+if test "x$with_dbmliborder" = xerror; then :
+
+  as_fn_error $? "proper usage is --with-dbmliborder=db1:db2:... (ndbm:gdbm:bdb)" "$LINENO" 5
+
+fi
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $with_dbmliborder" >&5
 $as_echo "$with_dbmliborder" >&6; }
 
@@ -21406,6 +21441,42 @@ fi
 $as_echo "$py_cv_module__decimal" >&6; }
 
 
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for stdlib extension module _gdbm" >&5
+$as_echo_n "checking for stdlib extension module _gdbm... " >&6; }
+      case $py_stdlib_not_available in #(
+  *_gdbm*) :
+    py_cv_module__gdbm=n/a ;; #(
+  *) :
+    if test "$have_gdbm_dbmliborder" = yes; then :
+  if test "$have_gdbm" = yes; then :
+  py_cv_module__gdbm=yes
+else
+  py_cv_module__gdbm=missing
+fi
+else
+  py_cv_module__gdbm=disabled
+fi
+   ;;
+esac
+  as_fn_append MODULE_BLOCK "MODULE__GDBM=$py_cv_module__gdbm$as_nl"
+  if test "x$py_cv_module__gdbm" = xyes; then :
+
+    as_fn_append MODULE_BLOCK "MODULE__GDBM_CFLAGS=$GDBM_CFLAGS$as_nl"
+    as_fn_append MODULE_BLOCK "MODULE__GDBM_LDFLAGS=$GDBM_LIBS$as_nl"
+
+fi
+   if test "$py_cv_module__gdbm" = yes; then
+  MODULE__GDBM_TRUE=
+  MODULE__GDBM_FALSE='#'
+else
+  MODULE__GDBM_TRUE='#'
+  MODULE__GDBM_FALSE=
+fi
+
+  { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $py_cv_module__gdbm" >&5
+$as_echo "$py_cv_module__gdbm" >&6; }
+
+
   { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for stdlib extension module nis" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for stdlib extension module nis... " >&6; }
       case $py_stdlib_not_available in #(
@@ -22254,6 +22325,10 @@ if test -z "${MODULE__DECIMAL_TRUE}" && test -z "${MODULE__DECIMAL_FALSE}"; then
   as_fn_error $? "conditional \"MODULE__DECIMAL\" was never defined.
 Usually this means the macro was only invoked conditionally." "$LINENO" 5
 fi
+if test -z "${MODULE__GDBM_TRUE}" && test -z "${MODULE__GDBM_FALSE}"; then
+  as_fn_error $? "conditional \"MODULE__GDBM\" was never defined.
+Usually this means the macro was only invoked conditionally." "$LINENO" 5
+fi
 if test -z "${MODULE_NIS_TRUE}" && test -z "${MODULE_NIS_FALSE}"; then
   as_fn_error $? "conditional \"MODULE_NIS\" was never defined.
 Usually this means the macro was only invoked conditionally." "$LINENO" 5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a950cc91d657b3..9999579ffafe4d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -3294,11 +3294,19 @@ else
   TCLTK_LIBS="$with_tcltk_libs"
 fi
 
-# check for _gdbmmodulec dependencies
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS([gdbm.h], [
-  LIBS_SAVE=$LIBS
-  AC_CHECK_LIB([gdbm], [gdbm_open])
-  LIBS=$LIBS_SAVE
+dnl check for _gdbmmodule dependencies
+dnl NOTE: gdbm does not provide a pkgconf file.
+AC_ARG_VAR([GDBM_CFLAGS], [C compiler flags for gdbm])
+AC_ARG_VAR([GDBM_LIBS], [additional linker flags for gdbm])
+WITH_SAVE_ENV([
+  CPPFLAGS="$GDBM_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
+  LDFLAGS="$GDBM_LIBS $LDFLAGS"
+  AC_CHECK_HEADERS([gdbm.h], [
+    AC_CHECK_LIB([gdbm], [gdbm_open], [
+      have_gdbm=yes
+      GDBM_LIBS="$GDBM_LIBS -lgdbm"
+    ], [have_gdbm=no])
+  ], [have_gdbm=no])
 ])
 
 # check for _dbmmodule.c dependencies
@@ -3366,21 +3374,23 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS([db.h], [
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for --with-dbmliborder)
 AC_ARG_WITH(dbmliborder,
             AS_HELP_STRING([--with-dbmliborder=db1:db2:...], [override order to check db backends for dbm; a valid value is a colon separated string with the backend names `ndbm', `gdbm' and `bdb'.]),
-[
-if test x$with_dbmliborder = xyes
-then
-AC_MSG_ERROR([proper usage is --with-dbmliborder=db1:db2:...])
-else
-  as_save_IFS=$IFS
-  IFS=:
-  for db in $with_dbmliborder; do
-    if test x$db != xndbm && test x$db != xgdbm && test x$db != xbdb
-    then
-      AC_MSG_ERROR([proper usage is --with-dbmliborder=db1:db2:...])
-    fi
-  done
-  IFS=$as_save_IFS
-fi])
+[], [with_dbmliborder=ndbm:gdbm:bdb])
+
+have_gdbm_dbmliborder=no
+as_save_IFS=$IFS
+IFS=:
+for db in $with_dbmliborder; do
+    AS_CASE([$db],
+      [ndbm], [],
+      [gdbm], [have_gdbm_dbmliborder=yes],
+      [bdb], [],
+      [with_dbmliborder=error]
+    )
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+AS_VAR_IF([with_dbmliborder], [error], [
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([proper usage is --with-dbmliborder=db1:db2:... (ndbm:gdbm:bdb)])
+])
 AC_MSG_RESULT($with_dbmliborder)
 
 # Templates for things AC_DEFINEd more than once.
@@ -6193,6 +6203,9 @@ PY_STDLIB_MOD([_sha3], [test "$with_builtin_sha3" = yes])
 PY_STDLIB_MOD([_blake2], [test "$with_builtin_blake2" = yes])
 
 PY_STDLIB_MOD([_decimal], [], [], [$LIBMPDEC_CFLAGS], [$LIBMPDEC_LDFLAGS])
+PY_STDLIB_MOD([_gdbm],
+  [test "$have_gdbm_dbmliborder" = yes], [test "$have_gdbm" = yes],
+  [$GDBM_CFLAGS], [$GDBM_LIBS])
 PY_STDLIB_MOD([nis],
   [], [test "$have_nis" = yes -a "$ac_cv_header_rpc_rpc_h" = yes],
   [$LIBNSL_CFLAGS], [$LIBNSL_LIBS])
diff --git a/pyconfig.h.in b/pyconfig.h.in
index c9c58656f58ac4..bb9ae4c3dbc82e 100644
--- a/pyconfig.h.in
+++ b/pyconfig.h.in
@@ -604,9 +604,6 @@
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `dld' library (-ldld). */
 #undef HAVE_LIBDLD
 
-/* Define to 1 if you have the `gdbm' library (-lgdbm). */
-#undef HAVE_LIBGDBM
-
 /* Define to 1 if you have the `gdbm_compat' library (-lgdbm_compat). */
 #undef HAVE_LIBGDBM_COMPAT
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 304168a657c850..ca407ae71b40fe 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1269,11 +1269,9 @@ def detect_dbm_gdbm(self):
 
         # libdb, gdbm and ndbm headers and libraries
         have_ndbm_h = sysconfig.get_config_var("HAVE_NDBM_H")
-        have_gdbm_h = sysconfig.get_config_var("HAVE_GDBM_H")
         have_gdbm_ndbm_h = sysconfig.get_config_var("HAVE_GDBM_NDBM_H")
         have_gdbm_dash_ndbm_h = sysconfig.get_config_var("HAVE_GDBM_DASH_NDBM_H")
         have_libndbm = sysconfig.get_config_var("HAVE_LIBNDBM")
-        have_libgdbm = sysconfig.get_config_var("HAVE_LIBGDBM")
         have_libgdbm_compat = sysconfig.get_config_var("HAVE_LIBGDBM_COMPAT")
         have_libdb = sysconfig.get_config_var("HAVE_LIBDB")
 
@@ -1331,11 +1329,7 @@ def detect_dbm_gdbm(self):
                 self.missing.append('_dbm')
 
         # Anthony Baxter's gdbm module.  GNU dbm(3) will require -lgdbm:
-        if 'gdbm' in dbm_order and have_libgdbm:
-            self.add(Extension('_gdbm', ['_gdbmmodule.c'],
-                               libraries=['gdbm']))
-        else:
-            self.missing.append('_gdbm')
+        self.addext(Extension('_gdbm', ['_gdbmmodule.c']))
 
     def detect_sqlite(self):
         sources = [