diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 2f8e5f6908..0d8d380df1 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@ AM_LDFLAGS =	$(DRIVER_MODULES_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(CYGWIN_EXTRA_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(MINGW_EXTRA_LDFLAGS) \
 		$(NULL)
-AM_LDFLAGS_MOD = -module -avoid-version $(AM_LDFLAGS)
+AM_LDFLAGS_MOD = \
+	-module \
+	-avoid-version \
+	$(LIBVIRT_NODELETE) \
+	$(AM_LDFLAGS)
 AM_LDFLAGS_MOD_NOUNDEF = $(AM_LDFLAGS_MOD) $(NO_UNDEFINED_LDFLAGS)
 
 POD2MAN = pod2man -c "Virtualization Support" -r "$(PACKAGE)-$(VERSION)"
diff --git a/src/driver.c b/src/driver.c
index 52e1ae345a..7d4c78eaaa 100644
--- a/src/driver.c
+++ b/src/driver.c
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ static void *
 virDriverLoadModuleFile(const char *file)
 {
     void *handle = NULL;
+    int flags = RTLD_NOW | RTLD_GLOBAL;
+
+# ifdef RTLD_NODELETE
+    flags |= RTLD_NODELETE;
+# endif
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Load module file '%s'", file);
 
@@ -55,7 +60,7 @@ virDriverLoadModuleFile(const char *file)
 
     virUpdateSelfLastChanged(file);
 
-    if (!(handle = dlopen(file, RTLD_NOW | RTLD_GLOBAL)))
+    if (!(handle = dlopen(file, flags)))
         VIR_ERROR(_("failed to load module %s %s"), file, dlerror());
 
     return handle;