diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend.c b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
index 32f45e8413..ce278b99c5 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ static size_t virStorageFileBackendsCount;
 
 static int
 virStorageDriverLoadBackendModule(const char *name,
-                                  const char *regfunc)
+                                  const char *regfunc,
+                                  bool forceload)
 {
     char *modfile = NULL;
     int ret;
@@ -100,7 +101,14 @@ virStorageDriverLoadBackendModule(const char *name,
                                             "LIBVIRT_STORAGE_BACKEND_DIR")))
         return 1;
 
-    ret = virDriverLoadModuleFull(modfile, regfunc, NULL);
+    if ((ret = virDriverLoadModuleFull(modfile, regfunc, NULL)) != 0) {
+        if (forceload) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                           _("failed to load storage backend module '%s'"),
+                           name);
+            ret = -1;
+        }
+    }
 
     VIR_FREE(modfile);
 
@@ -109,7 +117,7 @@ virStorageDriverLoadBackendModule(const char *name,
 
 
 # define VIR_STORAGE_BACKEND_REGISTER(func, module)                            \
-    if (virStorageDriverLoadBackendModule(module, #func) < 0)                  \
+    if (virStorageDriverLoadBackendModule(module, #func, allbackends) < 0)     \
         return -1
 #else
 # define VIR_STORAGE_BACKEND_REGISTER(func, module)                            \
@@ -118,7 +126,7 @@ virStorageDriverLoadBackendModule(const char *name,
 #endif
 
 int
-virStorageBackendDriversRegister(void)
+virStorageBackendDriversRegister(bool allbackends ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
 #if WITH_STORAGE_DIR || WITH_STORAGE_FS
     VIR_STORAGE_BACKEND_REGISTER(virStorageBackendFsRegister, "fs");
diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend.h b/src/storage/storage_backend.h
index ca6c19c457..f433071f40 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend.h
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend.h
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ struct _virStorageFileBackend {
     virStorageFileBackendChown  storageFileChown;
 };
 
-int virStorageBackendDriversRegister(void);
+int virStorageBackendDriversRegister(bool allmodules);
 
 int virStorageBackendRegister(virStorageBackendPtr backend);
 int virStorageBackendFileRegister(virStorageFileBackendPtr backend);
diff --git a/src/storage/storage_driver.c b/src/storage/storage_driver.c
index 7fafbcf758..0bc047f231 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_driver.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_driver.c
@@ -2838,9 +2838,10 @@ static virStateDriver stateDriver = {
     .stateReload = storageStateReload,
 };
 
-int storageRegister(void)
+static int
+storageRegisterFull(bool allbackends)
 {
-    if (virStorageBackendDriversRegister() < 0)
+    if (virStorageBackendDriversRegister(allbackends) < 0)
         return -1;
     if (virSetSharedStorageDriver(&storageDriver) < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -2850,6 +2851,20 @@ int storageRegister(void)
 }
 
 
+int
+storageRegister(void)
+{
+    return storageRegisterFull(false);
+}
+
+
+int
+storageRegisterAll(void)
+{
+    return storageRegisterFull(true);
+}
+
+
 /* ----------- file handlers cooperating with storage driver --------------- */
 static bool
 virStorageFileIsInitialized(const virStorageSource *src)
diff --git a/src/storage/storage_driver.h b/src/storage/storage_driver.h
index 682c9ff827..f0aca36711 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_driver.h
+++ b/src/storage/storage_driver.h
@@ -70,5 +70,6 @@ char *virStoragePoolObjBuildTempFilePath(virStoragePoolObjPtr pool,
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
 int storageRegister(void);
+int storageRegisterAll(void);
 
 #endif /* __VIR_STORAGE_DRIVER_H__ */
diff --git a/tests/virdrivermoduletest.c b/tests/virdrivermoduletest.c
index e440350c20..13d51a8e9a 100644
--- a/tests/virdrivermoduletest.c
+++ b/tests/virdrivermoduletest.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ mymain(void)
     TEST("interface");
 #endif
 #ifdef WITH_STORAGE
-    TEST("storage");
+    TEST_FULL("storage", "storageRegisterAll");
 #endif
 #ifdef WITH_NODE_DEVICES
     TEST("nodedev");
diff --git a/tests/virstoragetest.c b/tests/virstoragetest.c
index d715fd762b..36567753ba 100644
--- a/tests/virstoragetest.c
+++ b/tests/virstoragetest.c
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ mymain(void)
     virStorageSourcePtr chain2; /* short for chain->backingStore */
     virStorageSourcePtr chain3; /* short for chain2->backingStore */
 
-    if (virStorageBackendDriversRegister() < 0)
+    if (virStorageBackendDriversRegister(false) < 0)
        return -1;
 
     /* Prep some files with qemu-img; if that is not found on PATH, or