diff --git a/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso.go b/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..88d44c2c6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// Copyright 2015 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package cgosotest
+
+// This test verifies that Go can access C variables
+// in shared object file via cgo.
+
+/*
+// intentionally write the same LDFLAGS differently
+// to test correct handling of LDFLAGS.
+#cgo windows CFLAGS: -DIMPORT_DLL
+#cgo linux LDFLAGS: -L. -lcgosotest
+#cgo dragonfly LDFLAGS: -L. -l cgosotest
+#cgo freebsd LDFLAGS: -L. -l cgosotest
+#cgo openbsd LDFLAGS: -L. -l cgosotest
+#cgo solaris LDFLAGS: -L. -lcgosotest
+#cgo netbsd LDFLAGS: -L. libcgosotest.so
+#cgo darwin LDFLAGS: -L. libcgosotest.dylib
+#cgo windows LDFLAGS: -L. libcgosotest.dll
+
+#include "cgoso_c.h"
+
+const char* getVar() {
+	    return exported_var;
+}
+*/
+import "C"
+
+import "fmt"
+
+func Test() {
+	const want = "Hello world"
+	got := C.GoString(C.getVar())
+	if got != want {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("testExportedVar: got %q, but want %q", got, want))
+	}
+	got = C.GoString(C.exported_var)
+	if got != want {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("testExportedVar: got %q, but want %q", got, want))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso_c.c b/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso_c.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a448c01342
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso_c.c
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// Copyright 2015 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// +build ignore
+
+const char *exported_var = "Hello world";
diff --git a/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso_c.h b/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso_c.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab304cdcaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/cgo/testsovar/cgoso_c.h
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// Copyright 2015 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// +build ignore
+
+#ifdef WIN32
+#if defined(EXPORT_DLL)
+#    define VAR __declspec(dllexport)
+#elif defined(IMPORT_DLL)
+#    define VAR __declspec(dllimport)
+#endif
+#else
+#    define VAR
+#endif
+
+VAR const char *exported_var;
diff --git a/misc/cgo/testsovar/main.go b/misc/cgo/testsovar/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9c8a1c4e66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/cgo/testsovar/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// Copyright 2015 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+// +build ignore
+
+package main
+
+import "."
+
+func main() {
+	cgosotest.Test()
+}
diff --git a/src/cmd/dist/test.go b/src/cmd/dist/test.go
index 8246dbb249..6f1b43cfce 100644
--- a/src/cmd/dist/test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/dist/test.go
@@ -414,8 +414,21 @@ func (t *tester) registerTests() {
 			t.tests = append(t.tests, distTest{
 				name:    "testso",
 				heading: "../misc/cgo/testso",
-				fn:      t.cgoTestSO,
+				fn: func() error {
+					return t.cgoTestSO("misc/cgo/testso")
+				},
 			})
+			if t.goos == "darwin" {
+				fmt.Println("Skipping misc/cgo/testsovar test. See issue 10360 for details.")
+			} else {
+				t.tests = append(t.tests, distTest{
+					name:    "testsovar",
+					heading: "../misc/cgo/testsovar",
+					fn: func() error {
+						return t.cgoTestSO("misc/cgo/testsovar")
+					},
+				})
+			}
 		}
 		if t.supportedBuildmode("c-archive") {
 			t.registerTest("testcarchive", "../misc/cgo/testcarchive", "./test.bash")
@@ -724,8 +737,8 @@ func (t *tester) cgoTestSOSupported() bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func (t *tester) cgoTestSO() error {
-	dir := filepath.Join(t.goroot, "misc/cgo/testso")
+func (t *tester) cgoTestSO(testpath string) error {
+	dir := filepath.Join(t.goroot, testpath)
 
 	// build shared object
 	output, err := exec.Command("go", "env", "CC").Output()
@@ -750,6 +763,7 @@ func (t *tester) cgoTestSO() error {
 		args = append(args, "-undefined", "suppress", "-flat_namespace")
 	case "windows":
 		ext = "dll"
+		args = append(args, "-DEXPORT_DLL")
 	}
 	sofname := "libcgosotest." + ext
 	args = append(args, "-o", sofname, "cgoso_c.c")