diff --git a/WHATS_NEW_DM b/WHATS_NEW_DM
index 1103380de..27d8972d4 100644
--- a/WHATS_NEW_DM
+++ b/WHATS_NEW_DM
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 Version 1.02.71 - 
 ====================================
+  Add DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE env. variable to override configured value.
+  Add dm_lib_init to automatically initialise device-mapper library on load.
   Replace any '\' char with '\\' in table specification on input.
   Add mangle command to dmsetup to provide renaming to correct mangled form.
   Add 'mangled_name' and 'unmangled_name' fields to dmsetup info -c -o.
diff --git a/libdm/libdevmapper.h b/libdm/libdevmapper.h
index e9f84ea4f..fe6c42eed 100644
--- a/libdm/libdevmapper.h
+++ b/libdm/libdevmapper.h
@@ -365,6 +365,12 @@ int dm_device_has_holders(uint32_t major, uint32_t minor);
  */
 int dm_device_has_mounted_fs(uint32_t major, uint32_t minor);
 
+
+/*
+ * Initialise library
+ */
+void dm_lib_init(void) __attribute__((constructor));
+
 /*
  * Release library resources
  */
diff --git a/libdm/libdm-common.c b/libdm/libdm-common.c
index b5ebcfd83..54a893a64 100644
--- a/libdm/libdm-common.c
+++ b/libdm/libdm-common.c
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 #  include <selinux/label.h>
 #endif
 
+#define DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE_ENV_VAR_NAME "DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE"
+
 #define DEV_DIR "/dev/"
 
 #ifdef UDEV_SYNC_SUPPORT
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ static char _default_uuid_prefix[DM_MAX_UUID_PREFIX_LEN + 1] = "LVM-";
 
 static int _verbose = 0;
 static int _suspended_dev_counter = 0;
-static int _name_mangling_mode = DEFAULT_DM_NAME_MANGLING;
+static int _name_mangling_mode = -1;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SELINUX_LABEL_H
 static struct selabel_handle *_selabel_handle = NULL;
@@ -79,6 +81,22 @@ static int _sync_with_udev = 1;
 static int _udev_checking = 1;
 #endif
 
+void dm_lib_init(void)
+{
+	const char *env;
+
+	env = getenv(DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE_ENV_VAR_NAME);
+	if (env && *env) {
+		if (!strcasecmp(env, "none"))
+			_name_mangling_mode = DM_STRING_MANGLING_NONE;
+		else if (!strcasecmp(env, "auto"))
+			_name_mangling_mode = DM_STRING_MANGLING_AUTO;
+		else if (!strcasecmp(env, "hex"))
+			_name_mangling_mode = DM_STRING_MANGLING_HEX;
+	} else
+		_name_mangling_mode = DEFAULT_DM_NAME_MANGLING;
+}
+
 /*
  * Library users can provide their own logging
  * function.
diff --git a/libdm/libdm-common.h b/libdm/libdm-common.h
index 77d0b1f48..ce9b434ff 100644
--- a/libdm/libdm-common.h
+++ b/libdm/libdm-common.h
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 
 #include "libdevmapper.h"
 
+#define DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE_ENV_VAR_NAME "DM_DEFAULT_NAME_MANGLING_MODE"
+
 #define DEV_NAME(dmt) (dmt->mangled_dev_name ? : dmt->dev_name)
 
 int mangle_name(const char *str, size_t len, char *buf,