diff --git a/doc/api/process.md b/doc/api/process.md
index e24bf19d9d2f44..82edcf9436c8eb 100644
--- a/doc/api/process.md
+++ b/doc/api/process.md
@@ -638,6 +638,48 @@ process's [`ChildProcess.disconnect()`][].
 If the Node.js process was not spawned with an IPC channel,
 `process.disconnect()` will be `undefined`.
 
+## process.dlopen(module, filename[, flags])
+<!-- YAML
+added: v0.1.16
+changes:
+  - version: REPLACEME
+    pr-url: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/12794
+    description: Added support for the `flags` argument.
+-->
+
+* `module` {Object}
+* `filename` {string}
+* `flags` {os.constants.dlopen}. Defaults to `os.constants.dlopen.RTLD_LAZY`.
+
+The `process.dlopen()` method allows to dynamically load shared
+objects. It is primarily used by `require()` to load
+C++ Addons, and should not be used directly, except in special
+cases. In other words, [`require()`][] should be preferred over
+`process.dlopen()`, unless there are specific reasons.
+
+The `flags` argument is an integer that allows to specify dlopen
+behavior. See the [`os.constants.dlopen`][] documentation for details.
+
+If there are specific reasons to use `process.dlopen()` (for instance,
+to specify dlopen flags), it's often useful to use [`require.resolve()`][]
+to look up the module's path.
+
+*Note*: An important drawback when calling `process.dlopen()` is that the
+`module` instance must be passed. Functions exported by the C++ Addon will
+be accessible via `module.exports`.
+
+The example below shows how to load a C++ Addon, named as `binding`,
+that exports a `foo` function. All the symbols will be loaded before
+the call returns, by passing the `RTLD_NOW` constant. In this example
+the constant is assumed to be available.
+
+```js
+const os = require('os');
+process.dlopen(module, require.resolve('binding'),
+               os.constants.dlopen.RTLD_NOW);
+module.exports.foo();
+```
+
 ## process.emitWarning(warning[, options])
 <!-- YAML
 added: 8.0.0
@@ -1841,13 +1883,16 @@ cases:
 [`end()`]: stream.html#stream_writable_end_chunk_encoding_callback
 [`net.Server`]: net.html#net_class_net_server
 [`net.Socket`]: net.html#net_class_net_socket
+[`os.constants.dlopen`]: os.html#os_dlopen_constants
 [`process.argv`]: #process_process_argv
 [`process.execPath`]: #process_process_execpath
 [`process.exit()`]: #process_process_exit_code
 [`process.exitCode`]: #process_process_exitcode
 [`process.kill()`]: #process_process_kill_pid_signal
 [`promise.catch()`]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Promise/catch
+[`require()`]: globals.html#globals_require
 [`require.main`]: modules.html#modules_accessing_the_main_module
+[`require.resolve()`]: globals.html#globals_require_resolve
 [`setTimeout(fn, 0)`]: timers.html#timers_settimeout_callback_delay_args
 [Child Process]: child_process.html
 [Cluster]: cluster.html
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 5cd0ffc29db1e9..a569011894781d 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ typedef int mode_t;
 #include <grp.h>  // getgrnam()
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__POSIX__)
+#include <dlfcn.h>
+#endif
+
 #ifdef __APPLE__
 #include <crt_externs.h>
 #define environ (*_NSGetEnviron())
@@ -2503,7 +2507,49 @@ struct node_module* get_linked_module(const char* name) {
   return mp;
 }
 
-// DLOpen is process.dlopen(module, filename).
+struct DLib {
+  std::string filename_;
+  std::string errmsg_;
+  void* handle_;
+  int flags_;
+
+#ifdef __POSIX__
+  static const int kDefaultFlags = RTLD_LAZY;
+
+  bool Open() {
+    handle_ = dlopen(filename_.c_str(), flags_);
+    if (handle_ != nullptr)
+      return true;
+    errmsg_ = dlerror();
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  void Close() {
+    if (handle_ != nullptr)
+      dlclose(handle_);
+  }
+#else  // !__POSIX__
+  static const int kDefaultFlags = 0;
+  uv_lib_t lib_;
+
+  bool Open() {
+    int ret = uv_dlopen(filename_.c_str(), &lib_);
+    if (ret == 0) {
+      handle_ = static_cast<void*>(lib_.handle);
+      return true;
+    }
+    errmsg_ = uv_dlerror(&lib_);
+    uv_dlclose(&lib_);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  void Close() {
+    uv_dlclose(&lib_);
+  }
+#endif  // !__POSIX__
+};
+
+// DLOpen is process.dlopen(module, filename, flags).
 // Used to load 'module.node' dynamically shared objects.
 //
 // FIXME(bnoordhuis) Not multi-context ready. TBD how to resolve the conflict
@@ -2511,18 +2557,25 @@ struct node_module* get_linked_module(const char* name) {
 // cache that's a plain C list or hash table that's shared across contexts?
 static void DLOpen(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   Environment* env = Environment::GetCurrent(args);
-  uv_lib_t lib;
 
   CHECK_EQ(modpending, nullptr);
 
-  if (args.Length() != 2) {
-    env->ThrowError("process.dlopen takes exactly 2 arguments.");
+  if (args.Length() < 2) {
+    env->ThrowError("process.dlopen needs at least 2 arguments.");
     return;
   }
 
+  int32_t flags = DLib::kDefaultFlags;
+  if (args.Length() > 2 && !args[2]->Int32Value(env->context()).To(&flags)) {
+    return env->ThrowTypeError("flag argument must be an integer.");
+  }
+
   Local<Object> module = args[0]->ToObject(env->isolate());  // Cast
   node::Utf8Value filename(env->isolate(), args[1]);  // Cast
-  const bool is_dlopen_error = uv_dlopen(*filename, &lib);
+  DLib dlib;
+  dlib.filename_ = *filename;
+  dlib.flags_ = flags;
+  bool is_opened = dlib.Open();
 
   // Objects containing v14 or later modules will have registered themselves
   // on the pending list.  Activate all of them now.  At present, only one
@@ -2530,9 +2583,9 @@ static void DLOpen(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   node_module* const mp = modpending;
   modpending = nullptr;
 
-  if (is_dlopen_error) {
-    Local<String> errmsg = OneByteString(env->isolate(), uv_dlerror(&lib));
-    uv_dlclose(&lib);
+  if (!is_opened) {
+    Local<String> errmsg = OneByteString(env->isolate(), dlib.errmsg_.c_str());
+    dlib.Close();
 #ifdef _WIN32
     // Windows needs to add the filename into the error message
     errmsg = String::Concat(errmsg, args[1]->ToString(env->isolate()));
@@ -2542,7 +2595,7 @@ static void DLOpen(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   }
 
   if (mp == nullptr) {
-    uv_dlclose(&lib);
+    dlib.Close();
     env->ThrowError("Module did not self-register.");
     return;
   }
@@ -2569,18 +2622,18 @@ static void DLOpen(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
     }
 
     // NOTE: `mp` is allocated inside of the shared library's memory, calling
-    // `uv_dlclose` will deallocate it
-    uv_dlclose(&lib);
+    // `dlclose` will deallocate it
+    dlib.Close();
     env->ThrowError(errmsg);
     return;
   }
   if (mp->nm_flags & NM_F_BUILTIN) {
-    uv_dlclose(&lib);
+    dlib.Close();
     env->ThrowError("Built-in module self-registered.");
     return;
   }
 
-  mp->nm_dso_handle = lib.handle;
+  mp->nm_dso_handle = dlib.handle_;
   mp->nm_link = modlist_addon;
   modlist_addon = mp;
 
@@ -2592,7 +2645,7 @@ static void DLOpen(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   } else if (mp->nm_register_func != nullptr) {
     mp->nm_register_func(exports, module, mp->nm_priv);
   } else {
-    uv_dlclose(&lib);
+    dlib.Close();
     env->ThrowError("Module has no declared entry point.");
     return;
   }
diff --git a/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/binding.cc b/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/binding.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..14a817a13e8940
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/binding.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#include <node.h>
+#include <v8.h>
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+
+#include <dlfcn.h>
+
+extern "C" const char* dlopen_pong(void) {
+  return "pong";
+}
+
+namespace {
+
+using v8::FunctionCallbackInfo;
+using v8::Isolate;
+using v8::Local;
+using v8::Object;
+using v8::String;
+using v8::Value;
+
+typedef const char* (*ping)(void);
+
+static ping ping_func;
+
+void LoadLibrary(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
+  const String::Utf8Value filename(args[0]);
+  void* handle = dlopen(*filename, RTLD_LAZY);
+  assert(handle != nullptr);
+  ping_func = reinterpret_cast<ping>(dlsym(handle, "dlopen_ping"));
+  assert(ping_func != nullptr);
+}
+
+void Ping(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
+  Isolate* isolate = args.GetIsolate();
+  assert(ping_func != nullptr);
+  args.GetReturnValue().Set(String::NewFromUtf8(isolate, ping_func()));
+}
+
+void init(Local<Object> exports) {
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(exports, "load", LoadLibrary);
+  NODE_SET_METHOD(exports, "ping", Ping);
+}
+
+NODE_MODULE(binding, init)
+
+}  // anonymous namespace
+
+#endif  // _WIN32
diff --git a/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/binding.gyp b/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/binding.gyp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..8016ae1db7e9ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/binding.gyp
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+{
+  'targets': [
+    {
+      'target_name': 'ping',
+      'product_extension': 'so',
+      'type': 'shared_library',
+      'sources': [ 'ping.c' ],
+      'conditions': [
+        ['OS=="mac"', {
+          'xcode_settings': {
+            'OTHER_LDFLAGS': [ '-Wl,-undefined', '-Wl,dynamic_lookup' ]
+        }}],
+        # Pass erok flag to the linker, to prevent unresolved symbols
+        # from failing. Still, the test won't pass, so we'll skip it on AIX.
+        ['OS=="aix"', {
+          'ldflags': [ '-Wl,-berok' ]
+        }]],
+    },
+    {
+      'target_name': 'binding',
+      'defines': [ 'V8_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS=1' ],
+      'sources': [ 'binding.cc' ],
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/ping.c b/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/ping.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..bb0e6845d54466
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/ping.c
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#ifndef _WIN32
+
+const char* dlopen_pong(void);
+
+const char* dlopen_ping(void) {
+  return dlopen_pong();
+}
+
+#endif  // _WIN32
diff --git a/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/test.js b/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..40aeb441fae61b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/addons/dlopen-ping-pong/test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../../common');
+
+if (common.isWindows)
+  common.skip('dlopen global symbol loading is not supported on this os.');
+
+if (common.isAIX)
+  common.skip('this test does not pass on AIX.');
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const path = require('path');
+const os = require('os');
+
+const bindingPath = require.resolve(`./build/${common.buildType}/binding`);
+process.dlopen(module, bindingPath,
+               os.constants.dlopen.RTLD_NOW | os.constants.dlopen.RTLD_GLOBAL);
+module.exports.load(path.dirname(bindingPath) + '/ping.so');
+assert.strictEqual(module.exports.ping(), 'pong');
+
+// Check that after the addon is loaded with
+// process.dlopen() a require() call fails.
+const re = /^Error: Module did not self-register\.$/;
+assert.throws(() => require(`./build/${common.buildType}/binding`), re);