diff --git a/headers/posix/dlfcn.h b/headers/posix/dlfcn.h
index 398ac0cebf..ba7406fec5 100644
--- a/headers/posix/dlfcn.h
+++ b/headers/posix/dlfcn.h
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #define RTLD_LOCAL	0	/* symbols are not available for relocating any other object */
 #define RTLD_GLOBAL	2	/* all symbols are available */
 #define RTLD_NOLOAD	4	/* do not load any new object */
+#define RTLD_GROUP	8	/* do not lookup symbols in the global symbol table */
 
 /* not-yet-POSIX extensions (dlsym() handles) */
 #define RTLD_DEFAULT	((void*)0)
diff --git a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf.cpp b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf.cpp
index 10db4fdb85..9a70077226 100644
--- a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf.cpp
+++ b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf.cpp
@@ -677,6 +677,8 @@ load_library(char const *path, uint32 flags, bool addOn, void* caller,
 	if (image->find_undefined_symbol == NULL) {
 		if (addOn)
 			image->find_undefined_symbol = find_undefined_symbol_add_on;
+		else if (flags & RTLD_GROUP)
+			image->find_undefined_symbol = find_undefined_symbol_dependencies_only;
 		else
 			image->find_undefined_symbol = find_undefined_symbol_global;
 	}
diff --git a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_load_image.cpp b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_load_image.cpp
index c4528aa0f8..a421f86be4 100644
--- a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_load_image.cpp
+++ b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_load_image.cpp
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ load_image(char const* name, image_type type, const char* rpath, const char* run
 	// init gcc version dependent image flags
 	// symbol resolution strategy
 	if (image->abi == B_HAIKU_ABI_GCC_2_ANCIENT)
-		image->find_undefined_symbol = find_undefined_symbol_beos;
+		image->find_undefined_symbol = find_undefined_symbol_dependencies_only;
 
 	// init version infos
 	status = init_image_version_infos(image);
diff --git a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_symbol_lookup.cpp b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_symbol_lookup.cpp
index f71c586d09..a63a7a4696 100644
--- a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_symbol_lookup.cpp
+++ b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_symbol_lookup.cpp
@@ -379,12 +379,18 @@ find_symbol_breadth_first(image_t* image, const SymbolLookupInfo& lookupInfo,
 
 
 elf_sym*
-find_undefined_symbol_beos(image_t* rootImage, image_t* image,
+find_undefined_symbol_dependencies_only(image_t* rootImage, image_t* image,
 	const SymbolLookupInfo& lookupInfo, image_t** foundInImage)
 {
 	// BeOS style symbol resolution: It is sufficient to check the image itself
 	// and its direct dependencies. The linker would have complained, if the
-	// symbol wasn't there. First we check whether the requesting symbol is
+	// symbol wasn't there.
+	//
+	// Also used for the RTLD_GROUP option in dlopen, which works similarly.
+	// Symbols must be defined by direct dependencies and existing symbols from
+	// the executable or previously loaded libraries cannot interfere.
+	//
+	// First we check whether the requesting symbol is
 	// defined already -- then we can simply return it, since, due to symbolic
 	// linking, that's the one we'd find anyway.
 	if (elf_sym* symbol = lookupInfo.requestingSymbol) {
diff --git a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_symbol_lookup.h b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_symbol_lookup.h
index b80100e32e..cce102e7ff 100644
--- a/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_symbol_lookup.h
+++ b/src/system/runtime_loader/elf_symbol_lookup.h
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ status_t	find_symbol(image_t* image, const SymbolLookupInfo& lookupInfo,
 status_t	find_symbol_breadth_first(image_t* image,
 				const SymbolLookupInfo& lookupInfo, image_t** _foundInImage,
 				void** _location);
-elf_sym*	find_undefined_symbol_beos(image_t* rootImage, image_t* image,
+elf_sym*	find_undefined_symbol_dependencies_only(image_t* rootImage, image_t* image,
 				const SymbolLookupInfo& lookupInfo, image_t** foundInImage);
 elf_sym*	find_undefined_symbol_global(image_t* rootImage, image_t* image,
 				const SymbolLookupInfo& lookupInfo, image_t** foundInImage);