diff --git a/test/test_other.py b/test/test_other.py
index a453365822a67..f274103d1e080 100644
--- a/test/test_other.py
+++ b/test/test_other.py
@@ -2559,6 +2559,42 @@ def test_libjpeg(self):
                  cflags=['--embed-file', 'screenshot.jpg', '--use-port=libjpeg'],
                  args=['screenshot.jpg'])
 
+  @requires_network
+  def test_side_module_with_ports(self):
+    # Verify that ports can be used in side modules, and that the resulting
+    # side module can be used from a main module.
+    create_file('side.c', r'''
+      #include <stdio.h>
+      #include <gif_lib.h>
+
+      void gif_side_test(void) {
+        ColorMapObject* map = GifMakeMapObject(2, NULL);
+        if (map) {
+          GifFreeMapObject(map);
+        }
+        puts("gif side ok");
+      }
+    ''')
+
+    create_file('main.c', r'''
+      #include <stdio.h>
+
+      void gif_side_test(void);
+
+      int main() {
+        gif_side_test();
+        puts("main ok");
+        return 0;
+      }
+    ''')
+
+    self.emcc('side.c', args=['-sSIDE_MODULE', '-sUSE_GIFLIB', '-lgif', '-o', 'libgif_side.so'])
+    self.assertExists('libgif_side.so')
+
+    # Linking the side module into the main module should cause it to be loaded
+    # automatically at runtime.
+    self.do_runf('main.c', 'gif side ok\n', cflags=['-sMAIN_MODULE=2', 'libgif_side.so'])
+
   @requires_network
   @also_with_wasm64
   def test_bullet(self):
diff --git a/tools/cache.py b/tools/cache.py
index 832dc31184b00..76ab142083cc7 100644
--- a/tools/cache.py
+++ b/tools/cache.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ def get_lib_dir(absolute):
       subdir.append('thinlto')
     else:
       subdir.append('lto')
-  if settings.MAIN_MODULE:
+  if settings.MAIN_MODULE or settings.SIDE_MODULE:
     subdir.append('pic')
   if subdir:
     path = Path(path, '-'.join(subdir))
diff --git a/tools/system_libs.py b/tools/system_libs.py
index 7fc276f526ef1..a449e899956ae 100644
--- a/tools/system_libs.py
+++ b/tools/system_libs.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def get_base_cflags(build_dir, force_object_files=False, preprocess=True):
   flags = ['-g', '-sSTRICT', '-Werror']
   if settings.LTO and not force_object_files:
     flags += ['-flto=' + settings.LTO]
-  if settings.MAIN_MODULE:
+  if settings.MAIN_MODULE or settings.SIDE_MODULE:
     # Explicitly include `-sMAIN_MODULE` when building system libraries.
     # `-fPIC` alone is not enough to configure trigger the building and
     # caching of `pic` libraries (see `get_lib_dir` in `cache.py`)