diff --git a/include/sltdl/sltdl.h b/include/sltdl/sltdl.h
index 1a885c0..0b39935 100644
--- a/include/sltdl/sltdl.h
+++ b/include/sltdl/sltdl.h
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ lt_api int          lt_dlinsertsearchdir(const char *, const char *);
 lt_api int          lt_dlsetsearchpath(const char *);
 lt_api const char * lt_dlgetsearchpath(void);
 
+/* module interfaces */
+lt_api lt_dlhandle  lt_dlopen(const char *);
+lt_api lt_dlhandle  lt_dlopenext(const char *);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/core/lt_path.c b/src/core/lt_path.c
index bc9ac07..b0335de 100644
--- a/src/core/lt_path.c
+++ b/src/core/lt_path.c
@@ -5,14 +5,17 @@
 /*******************************************************************/
 
 #include <limits.h>
+#include <dlfcn.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
+
 #include <sltdl/sltdl.h>
 #include "sltdl_core.h"
+#include "sltdl_module.h"
 
 static off_t   lt_plen;
 static off_t   lt_plocs;
@@ -21,6 +24,12 @@ static char *  lt_vpath;
 static char ** lt_vmark;
 static char ** lt_pathv;
 
+static struct lt_modctx * lt_modv_head;
+static struct lt_modctx * lt_modv_tail;
+
+static struct lt_modctx * lt_modv_next;
+static struct lt_modctx * lt_modv_cap;
+
 const char * lt_dlgetsearchpath(void)
 {
 	return lt_upath;
@@ -243,12 +252,16 @@ int lt_dlinsertsearchdir(const char * mark, const char * path)
 	return lt_sunlock(ret);
 }
 
-static int lt_dlpathopen_locked(const char * module, const char ** extv)
+static int lt_dlpathopen_locked(
+	const char *  module,
+	const char ** extv,
+	char **       mpath)
 {
 	int           fdat;
 	int           fdmod;
 	char **       ppath;
 	const char ** pext;
+	size_t        plen;
 	size_t        mlen;
 	size_t        elen;
 	char          path[1024];
@@ -274,6 +287,19 @@ static int lt_dlpathopen_locked(const char * module, const char ** extv)
 				fdmod = openat(fdat,path,O_EXEC|O_CLOEXEC,0);
 
 				if (fdmod >= 0) {
+					if (mpath) {
+						plen  = strlen(*ppath);
+						plen += mlen + 1 + elen + 1;
+
+						if (!(*mpath = malloc(plen))) {
+							close(fdat);
+							close(fdmod);
+							return (-1);
+						}
+
+						sprintf(*mpath,"%s/%s",*ppath,path);
+					}
+
 					close(fdat);
 					return fdmod;
 				}
@@ -289,5 +315,90 @@ static int lt_dlpathopen_locked(const char * module, const char ** extv)
 int lt_dlpathopen(const char * module, const char ** extv)
 {
 	lt_slock();
-	return lt_sunlock(lt_dlpathopen_locked(module,extv));
+	return lt_sunlock(lt_dlpathopen_locked(module,extv,0));
+}
+
+static struct lt_modctx * lt_dlopen_locked(
+	const char *  module,
+	const char ** extv,
+	int           mode)
+{
+	int                 fdmod;
+	char *              mpath;
+	void *              maddr;
+	struct lt_modctx *  modctx;
+	struct lt_modctx *  modctx_buf;
+
+	/* path open */
+	if ((fdmod = lt_dlpathopen_locked(module,extv,&mpath)) < 0)
+		return 0;
+
+	close(fdmod);
+
+	/* entry alloc */
+	if (lt_modv_next == lt_modv_cap) {
+		if (!(modctx_buf = calloc(64,sizeof(*modctx)))) {
+			free(mpath);
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		lt_modv_next = modctx_buf;
+		lt_modv_cap  = &lt_modv_next[64];
+	}
+
+	/* dlopen */
+	if (!(maddr = dlopen(mpath,mode))) {
+		free(mpath);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* already dlopen'ed? */
+	for (modctx=lt_modv_head; modctx; modctx=modctx->mnext) {
+		if (!strcmp(modctx->mpath,mpath)) {
+			free(mpath);
+			modctx->mrefs++;
+			return modctx;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* module entry */
+	modctx        = lt_modv_next;
+	modctx->maddr = maddr;
+	modctx->mpath = mpath;
+	modctx->mrefs = 1;
+	lt_modv_next++;
+
+	/* add to list */
+	if (lt_modv_tail) {
+		lt_modv_tail->mnext = modctx;
+		lt_modv_tail        = modctx;
+	} else {
+		lt_modv_head        = modctx;
+		lt_modv_tail        = modctx;
+	}
+
+	/* all done */
+	return modctx;
+}
+
+struct lt_modctx * lt_dlopen(const char * module)
+{
+	struct lt_modctx * modctx;
+	const char *       extv[2] = {"",0};
+
+	lt_slock();
+	modctx = lt_dlopen_locked(module,extv,RTLD_NOW);
+	lt_sunlock(0);
+	return modctx;
+}
+
+struct lt_modctx * lt_dlopenext(const char * module)
+{
+	struct lt_modctx * modctx;
+	const char *       extv[3] = {"",OS_LIB_SUFFIX,0};
+
+	lt_slock();
+	modctx = lt_dlopen_locked(module,extv,RTLD_NOW);
+	lt_sunlock(0);
+	return modctx;
 }
diff --git a/src/internal/sltdl_module.h b/src/internal/sltdl_module.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26e47e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/internal/sltdl_module.h
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#ifndef SLTDL_MODULE_H
+#define SLTDL_MODULE_H
+
+struct lt_modctx {
+	struct lt_modctx *      mnext;
+	void *                  maddr;
+	char *                  mpath;
+	size_t                  mrefs;
+};
+
+#endif