A system is shown for the positive, metered lubrication of the shaft and rotor surfaces in a mechanical vacuum pump. The pump has an end plate which receives the shaft in a cylindrical opening and a lubricant conduit is provided in the end plate communicating with that opening. At a location of the opening's cylindrical surface circumferentially spaced from the lubricant conduit, a recess is provided in that cylindrical surface, the recess extending to the end of that surface adjacent the conventional pump rotor secured to the shaft for rotation therewith. One or more recesses are provided in the shaft itself and each is axially alinged with both the lubricant conduit and a portion of the recess in the cylindrical surface. Thus, upon rotation of the shaft, the recess in the shaft itself receives lubricant from the lubricant conduit and deposits the lubricant in the first-mentioned recess. In multiple stage vacuum pumps, the lubricant conduit is provided in the pump end plate adjacent the first pumping stage so that lubricant will be drawn from stage to stage under the influence of the pressure differential between stages, thereby permitting complete lubrication of the shaft, and of each of the rotors, by the single lubricant delivery system.