diff --git a/headers/private/libroot/image_private.h b/headers/private/libroot/image_private.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cf0080e6ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/headers/private/libroot/image_private.h
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2009, Ingo Weinhold, ingo_weinhold@gmx.de.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ */
+#ifndef _LIBROOT_IMAGE_PRIVATE_H
+#define _LIBROOT_IMAGE_PRIVATE_H
+
+#include <sys/cdefs.h>
+
+#include <image.h>
+
+
+__BEGIN_DECLS
+
+status_t get_image_symbol_etc(image_id id, char const* symbolName,
+	int32 symbolType, bool recursive, image_id* _inImage, void** _location);
+
+__END_DECLS
+
+
+#endif	// _LIBROOT_IMAGE_PRIVATE_H
diff --git a/headers/private/runtime_loader/runtime_loader.h b/headers/private/runtime_loader/runtime_loader.h
index da3005cd0b..ca57fcf25f 100644
--- a/headers/private/runtime_loader/runtime_loader.h
+++ b/headers/private/runtime_loader/runtime_loader.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ struct rld_export {
 	image_id (*load_library)(char const *path, uint32 flags, void **_handle);
 	status_t (*unload_library)(void* handle);
 	status_t (*get_image_symbol)(image_id imageID, char const *symbolName,
-		int32 symbolType, void **_location);
+		int32 symbolType, bool recursive, image_id *_inImage, void **_location);
 	status_t (*get_library_symbol)(void* handle, void* caller,
 		const char* symbolName, void **_location);
 	status_t (*get_nth_image_symbol)(image_id imageID, int32 num, char *symbolName,
diff --git a/src/system/libroot/os/image.cpp b/src/system/libroot/os/image.cpp
index d330382b4d..e338469542 100644
--- a/src/system/libroot/os/image.cpp
+++ b/src/system/libroot/os/image.cpp
@@ -3,18 +3,19 @@
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 
+#include <image.h>
+#include <image_private.h>
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <OS.h>
 
 #include <libroot_private.h>
 #include <runtime_loader.h>
 #include <syscalls.h>
 #include <user_runtime.h>
 
-#include <OS.h>
-#include <image.h>
-
-#include <stdlib.h>
-#include <string.h>
-
 
 thread_id
 load_image(int32 argCount, const char **args, const char **environ)
@@ -81,9 +82,20 @@ unload_add_on(image_id id)
 
 
 status_t
-get_image_symbol(image_id id, char const *symbolName, int32 symbolType, void **_location)
+get_image_symbol(image_id id, char const *symbolName, int32 symbolType,
+	void **_location)
 {
-	return __gRuntimeLoader->get_image_symbol(id, symbolName, symbolType, _location);
+	return __gRuntimeLoader->get_image_symbol(id, symbolName, symbolType,
+		false, NULL, _location);
+}
+
+
+status_t
+get_image_symbol_etc(image_id id, char const *symbolName, int32 symbolType,
+	bool recursive, image_id *_inImage, void **_location)
+{
+	return __gRuntimeLoader->get_image_symbol(id, symbolName, symbolType,
+		recursive, _inImage, _location);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf.cpp b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf.cpp
index 6ba5e55194..dd672bdbc4 100644
--- a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf.cpp
+++ b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf.cpp
@@ -2421,7 +2421,7 @@ out:
 
 status_t
 get_symbol(image_id imageID, char const *symbolName, int32 symbolType,
-	void **_location)
+	bool recursive, image_id *_inImage, void **_location)
 {
 	status_t status = B_OK;
 	image_t *image;
@@ -2436,9 +2436,17 @@ get_symbol(image_id imageID, char const *symbolName, int32 symbolType,
 
 	// get the image from those who have been already initialized
 	image = find_loaded_image_by_id(imageID);
-	if (image != NULL)
-		status = find_symbol(image, symbolName, symbolType, _location);
-	else
+	if (image != NULL) {
+		if (recursive) {
+			// breadth-first search in the given image and its dependencies
+			status = find_symbol_breadth_first(image, symbolName, symbolType,
+				&image, _location);
+		} else
+			status = find_symbol(image, symbolName, symbolType, _location);
+
+		if (status == B_OK && _inImage != NULL)
+			*_inImage = image->id;
+	} else
 		status = B_BAD_IMAGE_ID;
 
 	rld_unlock();
diff --git a/src/system/runtime_loader/runtime_loader_private.h b/src/system/runtime_loader/runtime_loader_private.h
index 163b46e135..0ea8d82d09 100644
--- a/src/system/runtime_loader/runtime_loader_private.h
+++ b/src/system/runtime_loader/runtime_loader_private.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ status_t unload_library(void* handle, image_id imageID, bool addOn);
 status_t get_nth_symbol(image_id imageID, int32 num, char *nameBuffer,
 	int32 *_nameLength, int32 *_type, void **_location);
 status_t get_symbol(image_id imageID, char const *symbolName, int32 symbolType,
-	void **_location);
+	bool recursive, image_id *_inImage, void **_location);
 status_t get_library_symbol(void* handle, void* caller, const char* symbolName,
 	void **_location);
 status_t get_next_image_dependency(image_id id, uint32 *cookie,