diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f2f37654..0c3d22a3 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ default = ["python3-sys"]
 # Enable additional features that require nightly rust
 nightly = []
 
+# Use this feature when building an extension module.
+# It tells the linker to keep the python symbols unresolved,
+# so that the module can also be used with statically linked python interpreters.
+extension-module = [ "python3-sys/extension-module" ]
+
+# Unfortunately we can't use the forward the same feature to either python27-sys
+# or python3-sys. (honestly, we should probably merge both crates into 'python-sys')
+extension-module-2-7 = [ "python27-sys/extension-module" ]
+
+
 # Optional features to support explicitly specifying python minor version.
 # If you don't care which minor version, just specify python3-sys as a 
 # feature.
@@ -55,3 +65,6 @@ python-3-4 = ["python3-sys/python-3-4"]
 
 #pep-384 = ["python3-sys/pep-384"]
 
+[workspace]
+members = ["python27-sys", "python3-sys", "extensions/hello"]
+
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a0143345..11f3b24e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ doc: build
 	cargo doc --no-deps $(CARGO_FLAGS)
 
 extensions: build
-	make -C extensions/ PY=$(PY)
+	make -C extensions/tests PY=$(PY)
 
 clean:
 	rm -r target
diff --git a/extensions/hello/Cargo.toml b/extensions/hello/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff0e1040
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/hello/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+[package]
+name = "hello"
+version = "0.1.0"
+authors = ["Daniel Grunwald <daniel@danielgrunwald.de>"]
+
+[lib]
+## Python extension modules should be compiled as 'cdylib'
+crate-type = ["cdylib"]
+
+[dependencies.cpython]
+path = "../.."
+features = ["extension-module"]
+# The 'extension-module' feature allows using the resulting binary module
+# with statically linked python interpreters.
+
+## By default, cpython will use whichever Python 3.x interpreter is found in PATH.
+## To target Python 2.7, use:
+#default-features=false
+#features = ["python27-sys", "extension-module-2-7"]
+
+
diff --git a/extensions/hello/src/hello.rs b/extensions/hello/src/hello.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1b52488
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/hello/src/hello.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#[macro_use] extern crate cpython;
+
+use cpython::{PyObject, PyResult, Python, PyTuple, PyDict};
+
+// Our module is named 'hello', and can be imported using `import hello`.
+// This requires that the output binary file is named `hello.so` (or Windows: `hello.pyd`).
+// As the output name cannot be configured in cargo (https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/1970),
+// you'll have to rename the output file.
+py_module_initializer!(hello, inithello, PyInit_hello, |py, m| {
+    m.add(py, "__doc__", "Module documentation string")?;
+    m.add(py, "func", py_fn!(py, func(a: &str, b: i32)))?;
+    m.add(py, "run", py_fn!(py, run(*args, **kwargs)))?;
+    Ok(())
+});
+
+// The py_fn!()-macro can translate between Python and Rust values,
+// so you can use `&str`, `i32` or `String` in the signature of a function
+// callable from Python.
+// The first argument of type `Python<'p>` is used to indicate that your
+// function may assume that the current thread holds the global interpreter lock.
+// Most functions in the `cpython` crate require that you pass this argument.
+fn func(_: Python, a: &str, b: i32) -> PyResult<String> {
+    Ok(format!("func({}, {})", a, b))
+}
+
+fn run(py: Python, args: &PyTuple, kwargs: Option<&PyDict>) -> PyResult<PyObject> {
+    println!("Rust says: Hello Python!");
+    for arg in args.iter(py) {
+        println!("Rust got {}", arg);
+    }
+    if let Some(kwargs) = kwargs {
+        for (key, val) in kwargs.items(py) {
+            println!("{} = {}", key, val);
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(py.None())
+}
+
diff --git a/extensions/.gitignore b/extensions/tests/.gitignore
similarity index 100%
rename from extensions/.gitignore
rename to extensions/tests/.gitignore
diff --git a/extensions/Makefile b/extensions/tests/Makefile
similarity index 89%
rename from extensions/Makefile
rename to extensions/tests/Makefile
index 1b8cd933..722dca90 100644
--- a/extensions/Makefile
+++ b/extensions/tests/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-TARGETDIR=../target/debug
+TARGETDIR=../../target/debug
 rwildcard=$(foreach d,$(wildcard $1*),$(call rwildcard,$d/,$2) $(filter $(subst *,%,$2),$d))
 
 .PHONY: all clean
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ clean:
 stamps:
 	mkdir stamps
 
-stamps/rust-cpython-$(PY): $(call rwildcard,../src,*.rs) Makefile | stamps
+stamps/rust-cpython-$(PY): $(call rwildcard,../../src,*.rs) Makefile | stamps
 	-rm stamps/rust-cpython-*
-	cd .. && make build PY=$(PY)
-	touch $@
+	cd ../.. && make build PY=$(PY)
+	touch "$@"
 
 %.so: %.rs stamps/rust-cpython-$(PY)
 	rustc $< -g -L $(TARGETDIR) -L $(TARGETDIR)/deps -o $@
diff --git a/extensions/btree.rs b/extensions/tests/btree.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from extensions/btree.rs
rename to extensions/tests/btree.rs
diff --git a/extensions/custom_class.rs b/extensions/tests/custom_class.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from extensions/custom_class.rs
rename to extensions/tests/custom_class.rs
diff --git a/extensions/hello.rs b/extensions/tests/hello.rs
similarity index 100%
rename from extensions/hello.rs
rename to extensions/tests/hello.rs
diff --git a/extensions/test_btree.py b/extensions/tests/test_btree.py
similarity index 100%
rename from extensions/test_btree.py
rename to extensions/tests/test_btree.py
diff --git a/python27-sys/Cargo.toml b/python27-sys/Cargo.toml
index 3bc03119..cea9b719 100644
--- a/python27-sys/Cargo.toml
+++ b/python27-sys/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ exclude = [
     ".gitignore",
     ".travis.yml",
 ]
+workspace = ".."
 
 [dependencies]
 libc = "0.2"
@@ -36,3 +37,9 @@ regex = "0.1"
 # where supporting multiple 3.x's is more important.
 default = ["python-2-7"]
 python-2-7 = []
+
+# Use this feature when building an extension module.
+# It tells the linker to keep the python symbols unresolved,
+# so that the module can also be used with statically linked python interpreters.
+extension-module = [ ]
+
diff --git a/python27-sys/build.rs b/python27-sys/build.rs
index cb364b18..c496cbce 100644
--- a/python27-sys/build.rs
+++ b/python27-sys/build.rs
@@ -297,13 +297,14 @@ fn configure_from_path(expected_version: &PythonVersion) -> Result<String, Strin
     let enable_shared: &str = &lines[2];
     let exec_prefix: &str = &lines[3];
 
-    println!("{}", get_rustc_link_lib(&interpreter_version,
-        enable_shared == "1").unwrap());
-
-    if libpath != "None" {
-        println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}", libpath);
-    } else if cfg!(target_os="windows") {
-        println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}\\libs", exec_prefix);
+    let is_extension_module = env::var_os("CARGO_FEATURE_EXTENSION_MODULE").is_some();
+    if !is_extension_module || cfg!(target_os="windows") {
+        println!("{}", get_rustc_link_lib(&interpreter_version, enable_shared == "1").unwrap());
+        if libpath != "None" {
+            println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}", libpath);
+        } else if cfg!(target_os="windows") {
+            println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}\\libs", exec_prefix);
+        }
     }
 
     return Ok(interpreter_path);
diff --git a/python3-sys/Cargo.toml b/python3-sys/Cargo.toml
index 430576ef..7a678892 100644
--- a/python3-sys/Cargo.toml
+++ b/python3-sys/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ exclude = [
     ".gitignore",
     ".travis.yml",
 ]
+workspace = ".."
 
 [dependencies]
 libc = "0.2"
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ regex = "0.1"
 # to try to bind to.
 default = ["python-3"]
 
+# Use this feature when building an extension module.
+# It tells the linker to keep the python symbols unresolved,
+# so that the module can also be used with statically linked python interpreters.
+extension-module = [ ]
+
 # Bind to any python 3.x.
 python-3 = []
 
diff --git a/python3-sys/build.rs b/python3-sys/build.rs
index b7e9db57..19e3918c 100644
--- a/python3-sys/build.rs
+++ b/python3-sys/build.rs
@@ -298,8 +298,16 @@ fn configure_from_path(expected_version: &PythonVersion) -> Result<String, Strin
     let ld_version: &str = &lines[3];
     let exec_prefix: &str = &lines[4];
 
-    println!("{}", get_rustc_link_lib(&interpreter_version,
-        ld_version, enable_shared == "1").unwrap());
+    let is_extension_module = env::var_os("CARGO_FEATURE_EXTENSION_MODULE").is_some();
+    if !is_extension_module || cfg!(target_os="windows") {
+        println!("{}", get_rustc_link_lib(&interpreter_version,
+            ld_version, enable_shared == "1").unwrap());
+        if libpath != "None" {
+            println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}", libpath);
+        } else if cfg!(target_os="windows") {
+            println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}\\libs", exec_prefix);
+        }
+    }
 
     let is_pep_384 = env::var_os("CARGO_FEATURE_PEP_384").is_some();
     if is_pep_384 {
@@ -312,12 +320,6 @@ fn configure_from_path(expected_version: &PythonVersion) -> Result<String, Strin
         }
     }
 
-    if libpath != "None" {
-        println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}", libpath);
-    } else if cfg!(target_os="windows") {
-        println!("cargo:rustc-link-search=native={}\\libs", exec_prefix);
-    }
-
     return Ok(interpreter_path);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 3b30c26d..944510e6 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -212,13 +212,12 @@ pub mod _detail {
 ///
 /// # Example
 /// ```
-/// #![crate_type = "dylib"]
 /// #[macro_use] extern crate cpython;
 /// use cpython::{Python, PyResult, PyObject};
 ///
-/// py_module_initializer!(example, initexample, PyInit_example, |py, m| {
-///     try!(m.add(py, "__doc__", "Module documentation string"));
-///     try!(m.add(py, "run", py_fn!(py, run())));
+/// py_module_initializer!(hello, inithello, PyInit_hello, |py, m| {
+///     m.add(py, "__doc__", "Module documentation string")?;
+///     m.add(py, "run", py_fn!(py, run()))?;
 ///     Ok(())
 /// });
 ///
@@ -228,16 +227,29 @@ pub mod _detail {
 /// }
 /// # fn main() {}
 /// ```
-/// The code must be compiled into a file `example.so`.
+///
+/// In your `Cargo.toml`, use the `extension-module` feature for the `cpython` dependency:
+/// ```cargo
+/// [dependencies.cpython]
+/// version = "*"
+/// features = ["extension-module"]
+/// ```
+/// The full example project can be found at:
+///   https://github.com/dgrunwald/rust-cpython/tree/master/extensions/hello
+/// 
+/// Rust will compile the code into a file named `libhello.so`, but we have to
+/// rename the file in order to use it with Python:
 ///
 /// ```bash
-/// rustc example.rs -o example.so
+/// cp ./target/debug/libhello.so ./hello.so
 /// ```
-/// It can then be imported into Python:
+/// (Note: on Mac OS you will have to rename `libhello.dynlib` to `libhello.so`)
+///
+/// The extension module can then be imported into Python:
 ///
 /// ```python
-/// >>> import example
-/// >>> example.run()
+/// >>> import hello
+/// >>> hello.run()
 /// Rust says: Hello Python!
 /// ```
 ///