diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 9bc152641..d51b9c86b 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ opts.AddVariables(
     ('CONFIG', "The path to the python file in which to save user configuration options. Currently : '%s'" % SCONS_LOCAL_CONFIG,SCONS_LOCAL_CONFIG),
     BoolVariable('USE_CONFIG', "Use SCons user '%s' file (will also write variables after successful configuration)", 'True'),
     BoolVariable('NO_ATEXIT', 'Will prevent Singletons from being deleted atexit of main thread', 'False'),
+    BoolVariable('NO_DLCLOSE', 'Will prevent plugins from being unloaded', 'False'),
     # http://www.scons.org/wiki/GoFastButton
     # http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1318863/how-to-optimize-an-scons-script
     BoolVariable('FAST', "Make SCons faster at the cost of less precise dependency tracking", 'False'),
@@ -1731,6 +1732,9 @@ if not preconfigured:
         if env['NO_ATEXIT']:
             env.Append(CPPDEFINES = '-DMAPNIK_NO_ATEXIT')
 
+        if env['NO_DLCLOSE'] or env['COVERAGE']:
+            env.Append(CPPDEFINES = '-DMAPNIK_NO_DLCLOSE')
+
         # Mac OSX (Darwin) special settings
         if env['PLATFORM'] == 'Darwin':
             pthread = ''
diff --git a/src/plugin.cpp b/src/plugin.cpp
index 7b057284e..af9bef3fb 100644
--- a/src/plugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugin.cpp
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ PluginInfo::~PluginInfo()
         */
         if (module_->dl && name_ != "gdal" && name_ != "ogr")
         {
+#ifndef MAPNIK_NO_DLCLOSE
             dlclose(module_->dl),module_->dl=0;
+#endif
         }
 #endif
         delete module_;