diff --git a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/README b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/README
index 73b47adaf..10776d822 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/README
+++ b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/README
@@ -15,10 +15,9 @@ dynamically linked program, the dynamic linker 'ldso.lib.so' and all used shared
 objects must be loaded as well.
 
 The linker can be configured through the '<config>' node when loading a dynamic
-binary. Currently there are to configurations options, 'ld_bind_now="yes"'
-causes the linker to resolve all symbol references on program loading.
-'ld_verbose="yes"' outputs library load informations before starting the
-program.
+binary. The configuration option 'ld_bind_now="yes"' prompts the linker to
+resolve all symbol references on program loading. 'ld_verbose="yes"' outputs
+library load information before starting the program.
 
 Configuration snippet:
 
@@ -29,6 +28,21 @@ Configuration snippet:
 !  </config>
 !</start>
 
+Preloading libraries
+--------------------
+
+The dynamic linker supports the preloading of libraries according to its
+configuration. The list of libraries must be specified within an '<ld>'
+sub node of the configuration:
+
+! <config>
+!   ...
+!   <ld>
+!     <library rom="libc_customization.lib.so"/>
+!   </ld>
+!   ...
+! </config>
+
 Debugging dynamic binaries with GDB stubs
 -----------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/dependency.cc b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/dependency.cc
index 7fbfe1eb9..cb66211c4 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/dependency.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/dependency.cc
@@ -58,18 +58,31 @@ bool Linker::Dependency::in_dep(char const *file, Fifo<Dependency> const &dep)
 }
 
 
+void Linker::Dependency::_load(Env &env, Allocator &alloc, char const *path,
+                               Fifo<Dependency> &deps, Keep keep)
+{
+	if (!in_dep(Linker::file(path), deps))
+		new (alloc) Dependency(env, alloc, path, _root, deps, keep);
+
+	/* re-order initializer list, if needed object has been already added */
+	else if (Object *o = Init::list()->contains(Linker::file(path)))
+		Init::list()->reorder(o);
+}
+
+
+void Linker::Dependency::preload(Env &env, Allocator &alloc,
+                                 Fifo<Dependency> &deps, Config const &config)
+{
+	config.for_each_library([&] (Config::Rom_name const &rom, Keep keep) {
+		_load(env, alloc, rom.string(), deps, keep); });
+}
+
+
 void Linker::Dependency::load_needed(Env &env, Allocator &md_alloc,
                                      Fifo<Dependency> &deps, Keep keep)
 {
 	_obj.dynamic().for_each_dependency([&] (char const *path) {
-
-		if (!in_dep(Linker::file(path), deps))
-			new (md_alloc) Dependency(env, md_alloc, path, _root, deps, keep);
-
-		/* re-order initializer list, if needed object has been already added */
-		else if (Object *o = Init::list()->contains(Linker::file(path)))
-			Init::list()->reorder(o);
-	});
+		_load(env, md_alloc, path, deps, keep); });
 }
 
 
diff --git a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/config.h b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/config.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5bd99b19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/config.h
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+/*
+ * \brief  Linker configuration
+ * \author Norman Feske
+ * \date   2019-08-13
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2019 Genode Labs GmbH
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Genode OS framework, which is distributed
+ * under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
+ */
+
+#ifndef _INCLUDE__CONFIG_H_
+#define _INCLUDE__CONFIG_H_
+
+#include <util/reconstructible.h>
+#include <base/attached_rom_dataspace.h>
+
+namespace Linker { class Config; }
+
+
+class Linker::Config : Noncopyable
+{
+	private:
+
+		/*
+		 * Helper to transparently handle the case where no "config" ROM is
+		 * available.
+		 */
+		struct Xml_config : Xml_node
+		{
+			Constructible<Attached_rom_dataspace> _rom { };
+
+			Xml_config(Env &env) : Xml_node("<empty/>")
+			{
+				try {
+					_rom.construct(env, "config");
+					static_cast<Xml_node &>(*this) = _rom->xml();
+				}
+				catch (...) { }
+			}
+		};
+
+		Xml_config const _config;
+
+		Bind const _bind = _config.attribute_value("ld_bind_now", false)
+		                 ? BIND_NOW : BIND_LAZY;
+
+		bool const _verbose = _config.attribute_value("ld_verbose", false);
+
+	public:
+
+		Config(Env &env) : _config(env) { }
+
+		Bind bind()    const { return _bind; }
+		bool verbose() const { return _verbose; }
+
+		typedef String<100> Rom_name;
+
+		/**
+		 * Call fn for each library specified in the configuration
+		 *
+		 * The functor 'fn' is called with 'Rom_name', 'Keep' as arguments.
+		 */
+		template <typename FN>
+		void for_each_library(FN const &fn) const
+		{
+			_config.with_sub_node("ld", [&] (Xml_node ld) {
+
+				ld.for_each_sub_node("library", [&] (Xml_node lib) {
+
+					Rom_name const rom = lib.attribute_value("rom", Rom_name());
+
+					Keep const keep = lib.attribute_value("keep", false)
+					                ? DONT_KEEP : KEEP;
+
+					fn(rom, keep);
+				});
+			});
+		}
+};
+
+#endif /* _INCLUDE__CONFIG_H_ */
diff --git a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/linker.h b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/linker.h
index bb3ca7e4e..8ce581902 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/linker.h
+++ b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/include/linker.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <elf.h>
 #include <file.h>
 #include <util.h>
+#include <config.h>
 
 /*
  * Mark functions that are used during the linkers self-relocation phase as
@@ -224,6 +225,8 @@ class Linker::Dependency : public Fifo<Dependency>::Element, Noncopyable
 		 */
 		bool in_dep(char const *file, Fifo<Dependency> const &);
 
+		void _load(Env &, Allocator &, char const *, Fifo<Dependency> &, Keep);
+
 	public:
 
 		/*
@@ -241,6 +244,11 @@ class Linker::Dependency : public Fifo<Dependency>::Element, Noncopyable
 		 */
 		void load_needed(Env &, Allocator &, Fifo<Dependency> &, Keep);
 
+		/**
+		 * Preload ELF object
+		 */
+		void preload(Env &, Allocator &, Fifo<Dependency> &, Config const &);
+
 		bool root() const { return _root != nullptr; }
 
 		Object const &obj() const { return _obj; }
diff --git a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/main.cc b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/main.cc
index bc7490dbb..4d05713ba 100644
--- a/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/main.cc
+++ b/repos/base/src/lib/ldso/main.cc
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <dynamic.h>
 #include <init.h>
 #include <region_map.h>
+#include <config.h>
 
 using namespace Linker;
 
@@ -346,7 +347,7 @@ struct Linker::Binary : private Root_object, public Elf_object
 
 	bool static_construction_finished = false;
 
-	Binary(Env &env, Allocator &md_alloc, Bind bind)
+	Binary(Env &env, Allocator &md_alloc, Config const &config)
 	:
 		Root_object(md_alloc),
 		Elf_object(env, md_alloc, binary_name(),
@@ -363,11 +364,14 @@ struct Linker::Binary : private Root_object, public Elf_object
 		/* place linker on second place in link map */
 		Ld::linker().setup_link_map();
 
+		/* preload libraries specified in the configuration */
+		binary->preload(env, md_alloc, deps(), config);
+
 		/* load dependencies */
 		binary->load_needed(env, md_alloc, deps(), DONT_KEEP);
 
 		/* relocate and call constructors */
-		Init::list()->initialize(bind, STAGE_BINARY);
+		Init::list()->initialize(config.bind(), STAGE_BINARY);
 	}
 
 	Elf::Addr lookup_symbol(char const *name)
@@ -634,32 +638,6 @@ extern "C" void init_rtld()
 }
 
 
-class Linker::Config
-{
-	private:
-
-		Bind _bind    = BIND_LAZY;
-		bool _verbose = false;
-
-	public:
-
-		Config(Env &env)
-		{
-			try {
-				Attached_rom_dataspace config(env, "config");
-
-				if (config.xml().attribute_value("ld_bind_now", false))
-					_bind = BIND_NOW;
-
-				_verbose = config.xml().attribute_value("ld_verbose", false);
-			} catch (Rom_connection::Rom_connection_failed) { }
-		}
-
-		Bind bind()    const { return _bind; }
-		bool verbose() const { return _verbose; }
-};
-
-
 static Genode::Constructible<Heap> &heap()
 {
 	return *unmanaged_singleton<Constructible<Heap>>();
@@ -684,12 +662,13 @@ void Genode::exec_static_constructors()
 void Component::construct(Genode::Env &env)
 {
 	/* read configuration */
-	static Config config(env);
+	Config const config(env);
+
 	verbose = config.verbose();
 
 	/* load binary and all dependencies */
 	try {
-		binary_ptr = unmanaged_singleton<Binary>(env, *heap(), config.bind());
+		binary_ptr = unmanaged_singleton<Binary>(env, *heap(), config);
 	} catch(Linker::Not_found &symbol) {
 		error("LD: symbol not found: '", symbol, "'");
 		throw;