diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/tasks/c_compile.py b/src/python/pants/backend/native/tasks/c_compile.py
index f21f25de5171..8e2ad6f816ee 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/native/tasks/c_compile.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/native/tasks/c_compile.py
@@ -59,12 +59,10 @@ def compile(self, compile_request):
       self.context.log.debug("no sources in request {}, skipping".format(compile_request))
       return
 
-    # TODO: add -fPIC, but only to object files used for shared libs (how do we determine that?) --
-    # alternatively, only allow using native code to build shared libs.
     c_compiler = compile_request.compiler
     err_flags = ['-Werror'] if compile_request.fatal_warnings else []
-    # We are executing in the results_dir, so get absolute paths for everything.
-    # TODO: -fPIC all the time???
+    # We are going to execute in `output_dir`, so get absolute paths for everything.
+    # TODO: If we need to produce static libs, don't add -fPIC! (could use Variants -- see #5788).
     cmd = [c_compiler.exe_filename] + err_flags + ['-c', '-fPIC'] + [
       '-I{}'.format(os.path.abspath(inc_dir)) for inc_dir in compile_request.include_dirs
     ] + [os.path.abspath(src) for src in sources]
diff --git a/src/python/pants/backend/native/tasks/cpp_compile.py b/src/python/pants/backend/native/tasks/cpp_compile.py
index aa1d2941cdce..212ff79f8e4d 100644
--- a/src/python/pants/backend/native/tasks/cpp_compile.py
+++ b/src/python/pants/backend/native/tasks/cpp_compile.py
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ def compile(self, compile_request):
 
     cpp_compiler = compile_request.compiler
     err_flags = ['-Werror'] if compile_request.fatal_warnings else []
-    # We are executing in the results_dir, so get absolute paths for everything.
-    # TODO: -fPIC all the time???
+    # We are going to execute in `output_dir`, so get absolute paths for everything.
+    # TODO: If we need to produce static libs, don't add -fPIC! (could use Variants -- see #5788).
     cmd = [cpp_compiler.exe_filename] + err_flags + ['-c', '-fPIC'] + [
       '-I{}'.format(os.path.abspath(inc_dir)) for inc_dir in compile_request.include_dirs
     ] + [os.path.abspath(src) for src in sources]