diff --git a/include/fuse.h b/include/fuse.h
index 04ab31b..8d7de4b 100644
--- a/include/fuse.h
+++ b/include/fuse.h
@@ -959,13 +959,10 @@ void fuse_register_module(struct fuse_module *mod);
  * For the parameters, see description of the fields in 'struct
  * fuse_module'
  */
-#define FUSE_REGISTER_MODULE(name_, factory_)				  \
-	static __attribute__((constructor)) void name_ ## _register(void) \
-	{								  \
-		static struct fuse_module mod =				  \
-			{ #name_, factory_, NULL, NULL, 0 };		  \
-		fuse_register_module(&mod);				  \
-	}
+#define FUSE_REGISTER_MODULE(name_, factory_)                           \
+        struct fuse_module fuse_fusemod_ ## name_ ## _module = {        \
+                #name_, factory_, NULL, NULL, 0                         \
+        };
 
 
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------- *
diff --git a/lib/fuse.c b/lib/fuse.c
index 885c9ce..fd38322 100644
--- a/lib/fuse.c
+++ b/lib/fuse.c
@@ -219,41 +219,76 @@ struct fuse_context_i {
 	fuse_req_t req;
 };
 
+/* Defined by FUSE_REGISTER_MODULE() in lib/modules/subdir.c and iconv.c.  */
+extern struct fuse_module fuse_fusemod_subdir_module;
+extern struct fuse_module fuse_fusemod_iconv_module;
+
 static pthread_key_t fuse_context_key;
 static pthread_mutex_t fuse_context_lock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 static int fuse_context_ref;
 static struct fusemod_so *fuse_current_so;
-static struct fuse_module *fuse_modules;
+static struct fuse_module *fuse_modules = NULL;
 
-static int fuse_load_so_name(const char *soname)
+static int fuse_load_so_name(const char *soname, const char *module_name)
 {
 	struct fusemod_so *so;
+        int ret = 0;
 
 	so = calloc(1, sizeof(struct fusemod_so));
 	if (!so) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "fuse: memory allocation failed\n");
-		return -1;
+                ret = -1;
+                goto end;
 	}
 
 	fuse_current_so = so;
-	so->handle = dlopen(soname, RTLD_NOW);
+
+	so->handle = dlopen (soname, RTLD_NOW);
+        if (so->handle == NULL) {
+                fprintf (stderr, "fuse: dlopen() failed: %s\n", dlerror ());
+                ret = -1;
+                goto freeso_end;
+        }
+
+        const size_t module_len = strlen (module_name);
+        char *symbol = malloc (64 + module_len);
+        if (symbol == NULL) {
+                perror ("fuse");
+                ret = -1;
+                goto dlopen_end;
+        }
+
+        sprintf (symbol, "fuse_fusemod_%s_module", module_name);
+
+        struct fuse_module *module;
+        module = dlsym (so->handle, symbol);
+        if (module != NULL) {
+                fuse_register_module (module);
+        }
+
 	fuse_current_so = NULL;
-	if (!so->handle) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "fuse: %s\n", dlerror());
-		goto err;
-	}
+
 	if (!so->ctr) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "fuse: %s did not register any modules\n",
 			soname);
-		goto err;
+                ret = -1;
+		goto freesym_end;
 	}
-	return 0;
 
-err:
-	if (so->handle)
-		dlclose(so->handle);
-	free(so);
-	return -1;
+freesym_end:
+        free (symbol);
+dlopen_end:
+        if (ret != 0) {
+                /* dlclose() only on error, otherwise we won't have
+                 * access to the .so anymore.  */
+                if (dlclose (so->handle)) {
+                        fprintf (stderr, "fuse: dlclose() failed: %s\n", dlerror ());
+                }
+        }
+freeso_end:
+	free (so);
+end:
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int fuse_load_so_module(const char *module)
@@ -265,14 +300,14 @@ static int fuse_load_so_module(const char *module)
 		return -1;
 	}
 	sprintf(soname, "libfusemod_%s.so", module);
-	res = fuse_load_so_name(soname);
+	res = fuse_load_so_name(soname, module);
 	free(soname);
 	return res;
 }
 
 static struct fuse_module *fuse_find_module(const char *module)
 {
-	struct fuse_module *m;
+        struct fuse_module *m;
 	for (m = fuse_modules; m; m = m->next) {
 		if (strcmp(module, m->name) == 0) {
 			m->ctr++;
@@ -4672,6 +4707,15 @@ struct fuse *fuse_new_common(struct fuse_chan *ch, struct fuse_args *args,
 	struct fuse_fs *fs;
 	struct fuse_lowlevel_ops llop = fuse_path_ops;
 
+        /* Boolean: have the builtin modules already been registered?  */
+        static int builtin_modules_registered_p = 0;
+        if (builtin_modules_registered_p == 0) {
+                /* If not, register them. */
+                fuse_register_module (&fuse_fusemod_subdir_module);
+                fuse_register_module (&fuse_fusemod_iconv_module);
+                builtin_modules_registered_p = 1;
+        }
+
 	if (fuse_create_context_key() == -1)
 		goto out;