diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f67c4d8..96862d0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ ifneq ($(wildcard ${VALGRIND_SUPPRESSION_FILE}),)
 VALGRIND_ARGUMENTS += --suppressions=${VALGRIND_SUPPRESSION_FILE}
 endif
 
+ifeq (,$(findstring -DZATHURA_PLUGINDIR,${CPPFLAGS}))
+CPPFLAGS += -DZATHURA_PLUGINDIR=\"${PLUGINDIR}\"
+endif
+ifeq (,$(findstring -DGETTEXT_PACKAGE,${CPPFLAGS}))
+CPPFLAGS += -DGETTEXT_PACKAGE=\"${PROJECT}\"
+endif
+ifeq (,$(findstring -DLOCALEDIR,${CPPFLAGS}))
+CPPFLAGS += -DLOCALEDIR=\"${LOCALEDIR}\"
+endif
+
 OBJECTS  = $(patsubst %.c, %.o,  $(SOURCE))
 DOBJECTS = $(patsubst %.c, %.do, $(SOURCE))
 
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
index a146b54..3460554 100644
--- a/config.mk
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ GTK_LIB ?= $(shell pkg-config --libs gtk+-${ZATHURA_GTK_VERSION}.0)
 GTHREAD_INC ?= $(shell pkg-config --cflags gthread-2.0)
 GTHREAD_LIB ?= $(shell pkg-config --libs   gthread-2.0)
 
+GMODULE_INC ?= $(shell pkg-config --cflags gmodule-no-export-2.0)
+GMODULE_LIB ?= $(shell pkg-config --libs   gmodule-no-export-2.0)
+
 GIRARA_INC ?= $(shell pkg-config --cflags girara-gtk${ZATHURA_GTK_VERSION})
 GIRARA_LIB ?= $(shell pkg-config --libs girara-gtk${ZATHURA_GTK_VERSION})
 
@@ -53,25 +56,12 @@ SQLITE_INC ?= $(shell pkg-config --cflags sqlite3)
 SQLITE_LIB ?= $(shell pkg-config --libs sqlite3)
 endif
 
-#set it to an empty value if you don't need to link against ld for dlopen and friends
-DL_LIB ?= -ldl
-
-INCS = ${GIRARA_INC} ${GTK_INC} ${GTHREAD_INC}
-LIBS = ${GIRARA_LIB} ${GTK_LIB} ${GTHREAD_LIB} ${DL_LIB} -lpthread -lm
+INCS = ${GIRARA_INC} ${GTK_INC} ${GTHREAD_INC} ${GMODULE_INC}
+LIBS = ${GIRARA_LIB} ${GTK_LIB} ${GTHREAD_LIB} ${GMODULE_LIB} -lpthread -lm
 
 # flags
 CFLAGS += -std=c99 -pedantic -Wall -Wno-format-zero-length -Wextra $(INCS)
 
-ifeq (,$(findstring -DZATHURA_PLUGINDIR,${CPPFLAGS}))
-CPPFLAGS += -DZATHURA_PLUGINDIR=\"${PLUGINDIR}\"
-endif
-ifeq (,$(findstring -DGETTEXT_PACKAGE,${CPPFLAGS}))
-CPPFLAGS += -DGETTEXT_PACKAGE=\"${PROJECT}\"
-endif
-ifeq (,$(findstring -DLOCALEDIR,${CPPFLAGS}))
-CPPFLAGS += -DLOCALEDIR=\"${LOCALEDIR}\"
-endif
-
 # debug
 DFLAGS ?= -g
 
diff --git a/plugin.c b/plugin.c
index 41590da..68c879e 100644
--- a/plugin.c
+++ b/plugin.c
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #include "plugin.h"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
-#include <dlfcn.h>
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
 
 #include <girara/datastructures.h>
@@ -81,67 +80,57 @@ zathura_plugin_manager_load(zathura_plugin_manager_t* plugin_manager)
         continue;
       }
 
-      void* handle             = NULL;
       zathura_plugin_t* plugin = NULL;
 
       /* load plugin */
-      handle = dlopen(path, RTLD_NOW);
+      GModule* handle = g_module_open(path, G_MODULE_BIND_LOCAL);
       if (handle == NULL) {
-        girara_error("could not load plugin %s (%s)", path, dlerror());
+        girara_error("could not load plugin %s (%s)", path, g_module_error());
         g_free(path);
         continue;
       }
 
       /* resolve symbols and check API and ABI version*/
-      zathura_plugin_api_version_t api_version;
-      *(void**)(&api_version) = dlsym(handle, PLUGIN_API_VERSION_FUNCTION);
-      if (api_version != NULL) {
-        if (api_version() != ZATHURA_API_VERSION) {
-          girara_error("plugin %s has been built againt zathura with a different API version (plugin: %d, zathura: %d)",
-              path, api_version(), ZATHURA_API_VERSION);
-          g_free(path);
-          dlclose(handle);
-          continue;
-        }
-      } else {
-#if ZATHURA_API_VERSION == 1
-        girara_warning("could not find '%s' function in plugin %s ... loading anyway", PLUGIN_API_VERSION_FUNCTION, path);
-#else
+      zathura_plugin_api_version_t api_version = NULL;
+      if (g_module_symbol(handle, PLUGIN_API_VERSION_FUNCTION, (gpointer*) &api_version) == FALSE || !api_version)
+      {
         girara_error("could not find '%s' function in plugin %s", PLUGIN_API_VERSION_FUNCTION, path);
         g_free(path);
-        dlclose(handle);
+        g_module_close(handle);
         continue;
-#endif
       }
 
-      zathura_plugin_abi_version_t abi_version;
-      *(void**)(&abi_version) = dlsym(handle, PLUGIN_ABI_VERSION_FUNCTION);
-      if (abi_version != NULL) {
-        if (abi_version() != ZATHURA_ABI_VERSION) {
-          girara_error("plugin %s has been built againt zathura with a different ABI version (plugin: %d, zathura: %d)",
-              path, abi_version(), ZATHURA_ABI_VERSION);
-          g_free(path);
-          dlclose(handle);
-          continue;
-        }
-      } else {
-#if ZATHURA_API_VERSION == 1
-        girara_warning("could not find '%s' function in plugin %s ... loading anyway", PLUGIN_ABI_VERSION_FUNCTION, path);
-#else
+      if (api_version() != ZATHURA_API_VERSION) {
+        girara_error("plugin %s has been built againt zathura with a different API version (plugin: %d, zathura: %d)",
+          path, api_version(), ZATHURA_API_VERSION);
+        g_free(path);
+        g_module_close(handle);
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      zathura_plugin_abi_version_t abi_version = NULL;
+      if (g_module_symbol(handle, PLUGIN_ABI_VERSION_FUNCTION, (gpointer*) &abi_version) == FALSE || !abi_version)
+      {
         girara_error("could not find '%s' function in plugin %s", PLUGIN_ABI_VERSION_FUNCTION, path);
         g_free(path);
-        dlclose(handle);
+        g_module_close(handle);
         continue;
-#endif
       }
 
-      zathura_plugin_register_service_t register_service;
-      *(void**)(&register_service) = dlsym(handle, PLUGIN_REGISTER_FUNCTION);
+      if (abi_version() != ZATHURA_ABI_VERSION) {
+        girara_error("plugin %s has been built againt zathura with a different ABI version (plugin: %d, zathura: %d)",
+          path, abi_version(), ZATHURA_ABI_VERSION);
+        g_free(path);
+        g_module_close(handle);
+        continue;
+      }
 
-      if (register_service == NULL) {
+      zathura_plugin_register_service_t register_service = NULL;
+      if (g_module_symbol(handle, PLUGIN_REGISTER_FUNCTION, (gpointer*) &register_service) == FALSE || !register_service)
+      {
         girara_error("could not find '%s' function in plugin %s", PLUGIN_REGISTER_FUNCTION, path);
         g_free(path);
-        dlclose(handle);
+        g_module_close(handle);
         continue;
       }
 
@@ -155,14 +144,13 @@ zathura_plugin_manager_load(zathura_plugin_manager_t* plugin_manager)
       if (plugin->register_function == NULL) {
         girara_error("plugin has no document functions register function");
         g_free(path);
-        dlclose(handle);
+        g_module_close(handle);
         continue;
       }
 
       plugin->register_function(&(plugin->functions));
 
       bool ret = register_plugin(plugin_manager, plugin);
-
       if (ret == false) {
         girara_error("could not register plugin %s", path);
         zathura_plugin_free(plugin);
@@ -284,7 +272,7 @@ zathura_plugin_free(zathura_plugin_t* plugin)
     return;
   }
 
-  dlclose(plugin->handle);
+  g_module_close(plugin->handle);
   girara_list_free(plugin->content_types);
   g_free(plugin);
 }
diff --git a/plugin.h b/plugin.h
index 4a97e86..795d398 100644
--- a/plugin.h
+++ b/plugin.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #define PLUGIN_H
 
 #include <girara/types.h>
+#include <gmodule.h>
 
 #include "types.h"
 #include "plugin-api.h"
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ struct zathura_plugin_s
   girara_list_t* content_types; /**< List of supported content types */
   zathura_plugin_register_function_t register_function; /**< Document open function */
   zathura_plugin_functions_t functions; /**< Document functions */
-  void* handle; /**< DLL handle */
+  GModule* handle; /**< DLL handle */
 };
 
 /**