diff --git a/src/core/PlumedMain.cpp b/src/core/PlumedMain.cpp
index 40c9f4376c..7728a3ad4b 100644
--- a/src/core/PlumedMain.cpp
+++ b/src/core/PlumedMain.cpp
@@ -1058,38 +1058,42 @@ void PlumedMain::update() {
   }
 }
 
-void PlumedMain::load(const std::string& ss) {
+void PlumedMain::load(const std::string& fileName, const bool loadGlobal) {
   if(DLLoader::installed()) {
-    std::string s=ss;
-    size_t n=s.find_last_of(".");
+    std::string libName=fileName;
+    size_t n=libName.find_last_of(".");
     std::string extension="";
-    std::string base=s;
-    if(n!=std::string::npos && n<s.length()-1) extension=s.substr(n+1);
-    if(n!=std::string::npos && n<s.length())   base=s.substr(0,n);
+    std::string base=libName;
+    if(n!=std::string::npos && n<libName.length()-1)
+      extension=libName.substr(n+1);
+    if(n!=std::string::npos && n<libName.length())
+      base=libName.substr(0,n);
     if(extension=="cpp") {
 // full path command, including environment setup
 // this will work even if plumed is not in the execution path or if it has been
 // installed with a name different from "plumed"
-      std::string cmd=config::getEnvCommand()+" \""+config::getPlumedRoot()+"\"/scripts/mklib.sh "+s;
+      std::string cmd=config::getEnvCommand()+" \""+config::getPlumedRoot()+"\"/scripts/mklib.sh "+libName;
       log<<"Executing: "<<cmd;
       if(comm.Get_size()>0) log<<" (only on master node)";
       log<<"\n";
       if(comm.Get_rank()==0) {
         int ret=std::system(cmd.c_str());
-        if(ret!=0) plumed_error() <<"An error happened while executing command "<<cmd<<"\n";
+        if(ret!=0)
+          plumed_error() <<"An error happened while executing command "<<cmd<<"\n";
       }
       comm.Barrier();
       base="./"+base;
     }
-    s=base+"."+config::getSoExt();
-    void *p=dlloader.load(s);
+    libName=base+"."+config::getSoExt();
+    void *p=dlloader.load(libName,loadGlobal);
     if(!p) {
-      plumed_error()<<"I cannot load library " << ss << " " << dlloader.error();
+      plumed_error()<<"I cannot load library " << fileName << " " << dlloader.error();
     }
-    log<<"Loading shared library "<<s.c_str()<<"\n";
+    log<<"Loading shared library "<<libName.c_str()<<"\n";
     log<<"Here is the new list of available actions\n";
     log<<actionRegister();
-  } else plumed_error()<<"While loading library "<< ss << " loading was not enabled, please check if dlopen was found at configure time";
+  } else
+    plumed_error()<<"While loading library "<< fileName << " loading was not enabled, please check if dlopen was found at configure time";
 }
 
 double PlumedMain::getBias() const {
diff --git a/src/core/PlumedMain.h b/src/core/PlumedMain.h
index 635dc96379..73809aa243 100644
--- a/src/core/PlumedMain.h
+++ b/src/core/PlumedMain.h
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ class PlumedMain:
 /// Stop the run
   void exit(int c=0);
 /// Load a shared library
-  void load(const std::string&);
+  void load(const std::string&, bool=false);
 /// Get the suffix string
   const std::string & getSuffix()const;
 /// Set the suffix string
diff --git a/src/setup/Load.cpp b/src/setup/Load.cpp
index 03283662e5..36b10902ae 100644
--- a/src/setup/Load.cpp
+++ b/src/setup/Load.cpp
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ PLUMED_REGISTER_ACTION(Load,"LOAD")
 void Load::registerKeywords( Keywords& keys ) {
   ActionSetup::registerKeywords(keys);
   keys.add("compulsory","FILE","file to be loaded");
+  keys.addFlag("GLOBAL",false,"when selected the shared object is LOADed with RTLD_GLOBAL instead of RTLD_LOCAL");
 }
 
 Load::Load(const ActionOptions&ao):
@@ -114,8 +115,10 @@ Load::Load(const ActionOptions&ao):
 {
   std::string f;
   parse("FILE",f);
+  bool loadWithGlobal=false;
+  parseFlag("GLOBAL",loadWithGlobal);
   checkRead();
-  plumed.load(f);
+  plumed.load(f,loadWithGlobal);
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/tools/DLLoader.cpp b/src/tools/DLLoader.cpp
index 1db9104114..ec6527d825 100644
--- a/src/tools/DLLoader.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/DLLoader.cpp
@@ -37,9 +37,13 @@ bool DLLoader::installed() {
 }
 
 
-void* DLLoader::load(const std::string&s) {
+void* DLLoader::load(const std::string&s, const bool useGlobal) {
 #ifdef __PLUMED_HAS_DLOPEN
-  void* p=dlopen(s.c_str(),RTLD_NOW|RTLD_LOCAL);
+  void* p=nullptr;
+  if (useGlobal)
+    p=dlopen(s.c_str(),RTLD_NOW|RTLD_GLOBAL);
+  else
+    p=dlopen(s.c_str(),RTLD_NOW|RTLD_LOCAL);
   if(!p) {
     lastError=dlerror();
   } else {
diff --git a/src/tools/DLLoader.h b/src/tools/DLLoader.h
index dde8f1fcfa..312f1f3178 100644
--- a/src/tools/DLLoader.h
+++ b/src/tools/DLLoader.h
@@ -40,23 +40,23 @@ namespace PLMD {
 class DLLoader {
   std::stack<void*> handles;
   std::string lastError;
-/// Deleted copy constructor
+  /// Deleted copy constructor
   DLLoader(const DLLoader&) = delete;
-/// Deleted assignment
+  /// Deleted assignment
   DLLoader&operator=(const DLLoader&) = delete;
 public:
-/// Default constructor
+  /// Default constructor
   DLLoader();
-/// Cleanup
+  /// Cleanup
   ~DLLoader();
-/// Load a library, returning its handle
-  void* load(const std::string&);
-/// Returns the last error in dynamic loader
+  /// Load a library, returning its handle
+  void* load(const std::string&, bool=false);
+  /// Returns the last error in dynamic loader
   const std::string & error();
-/// Returns true if the dynamic loader is available (on some systems it may not).
+  /// Returns true if the dynamic loader is available (on some systems it may not).
   static bool installed();
 };
 
-}
+} // namespace PLMD
 
 #endif