diff --git a/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
index 0e4ebda..8f4f2dc 100644
--- a/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/slbt_driver_ctx.c
@@ -722,8 +722,6 @@ int slbt_lib_get_driver_ctx(
 					break;
 
 				case TAG_DLOPEN:
-					break;
-
 				case TAG_DLPREOPEN:
 					ndlopen++;
 					break;
@@ -1011,6 +1009,10 @@ int slbt_lib_get_driver_ctx(
 		for (entry=meta->entries; entry->fopt || entry->arg; entry++) {
 			if (entry->fopt) {
 				switch (entry->tag) {
+					case TAG_DLOPEN:
+						ctx->cctx.drvflags |= SLBT_DRIVER_DLOPEN_FORCE;
+						break;
+
 					case TAG_DLPREOPEN:
 						if (!strcmp(entry->arg,"self")) {
 							ctx->cctx.drvflags |= SLBT_DRIVER_DLPREOPEN_SELF;
diff --git a/src/driver/slbt_split_argv.c b/src/driver/slbt_split_argv.c
index df0db37..894ed9d 100644
--- a/src/driver/slbt_split_argv.c
+++ b/src/driver/slbt_split_argv.c
@@ -472,10 +472,6 @@ slbt_hidden int slbt_split_argv(
 			*targv++ = argv[i++];
 			*targv++ = argv[i];
 
-		} else if (!(strcmp("dlopen",&argv[i][1]))) {
-			*targv++ = argv[i++];
-			*targv++ = argv[i];
-
 		} else if (!(strcmp("weak",&argv[i][1]))) {
 			*targv++ = argv[i++];
 			*targv++ = argv[i];
@@ -502,6 +498,13 @@ slbt_hidden int slbt_split_argv(
 			*targv++ = argv[i++];
 			*targv++ = argv[i];
 
+		} else if (!(strcmp("dlopen",&argv[i][1]))) {
+			if (!argv[i+1])
+				return -1;
+
+			*targv++ = argv[i++];
+			*targv++ = argv[i];
+
 		} else if (!(strcmp("dlpreopen",&argv[i][1]))) {
 			if (!argv[i+1])
 				return -1;
diff --git a/src/skin/slbt_skin_default.c b/src/skin/slbt_skin_default.c
index d258def..c982908 100644
--- a/src/skin/slbt_skin_default.c
+++ b/src/skin/slbt_skin_default.c
@@ -202,8 +202,10 @@ const slbt_hidden struct argv_option slbt_default_options[] = {
 	{"dlopen",		0,TAG_DLOPEN,ARGV_OPTARG_REQUIRED,
 				ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_ONLY|ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_SPACE,
 				0,"<module>",
-				"add the directory containing %s to the library path "
-				"[currently a no-op]"},
+				"create and link into the dynamic library, dynamic module, "
+				"or executable program a minimal, backward-compatible dlsyms "
+				"vtable. On modern systems, this has the same effect as "
+				"``-dlpreopen force``."},
 
 	{"dlpreopen",		0,TAG_DLPREOPEN,ARGV_OPTARG_REQUIRED,
 				ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_ONLY|ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_SPACE,