diff --git a/include/mxnet/c_api.h b/include/mxnet/c_api.h
index 242d5a4abd36..177ec5d40146 100644
--- a/include/mxnet/c_api.h
+++ b/include/mxnet/c_api.h
@@ -1173,7 +1173,8 @@ MXNET_DLL int MXAutogradIsTraining(bool* curr);
 MXNET_DLL int MXIsNumpyShape(bool* curr);
 /*!
  * \brief set numpy compatibility switch
- * \param is_np_shape 1 when numpy shape semantics is on, 0 when off
+ * \param is_np_shape 1 when numpy shape semantics is thread local on,
+ *        2 when numpy shape semantics is global on and 0 when off
  * \param prev returns the previous status before this set
  * \return 0 when success, -1 when failure happens
  */
diff --git a/include/mxnet/imperative.h b/include/mxnet/imperative.h
index c588565012a5..575f94b26f9d 100644
--- a/include/mxnet/imperative.h
+++ b/include/mxnet/imperative.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "./ndarray.h"
 
 namespace mxnet {
+  enum NumpyShape{Off, On, Global};
 /*! \brief runtime functions for NDArray */
 class Imperative {
  public:
@@ -97,14 +98,30 @@ class Imperative {
       is_recording_ = is_recording;
       return old;
   }
-  /*! brief whether numpy compatibility is on. */
+  /*! \brief whether numpy compatibility is on. */
   bool is_np_shape() const {
+    if (is_np_shape_global_) {
+      return true;
+    }
     return is_np_shape_;
   }
-  /*! brief turn on or turn off numpy compatibility switch. */
-  bool set_is_np_shape(bool is_np_shape) {
-    bool old = is_np_shape_;
-    is_np_shape_ = is_np_shape;
+  /*! \brief specify numpy compatibility off, thread local on or global on. */
+  bool set_is_np_shape(int is_np_shape) {
+    NumpyShape flag = static_cast<NumpyShape>(is_np_shape);
+    bool old = this->is_np_shape();
+    switch (flag) {
+      case Global:
+        is_np_shape_global_ = true;
+        is_np_shape_ = true;
+        break;
+      case On:
+        is_np_shape_ = true;
+        break;
+      case Off:
+        is_np_shape_global_ = false;
+        is_np_shape_ = false;
+        break;
+    }
     return old;
   }
   /*! \brief to record operator, return corresponding node. */
@@ -185,6 +202,7 @@ class Imperative {
   // Delete it in the next major release.
   static MX_THREAD_LOCAL bool is_np_shape_;
 #endif
+  bool is_np_shape_global_{false};
   /*! \brief node count used for naming */
   std::atomic<uint64_t> node_count_{0};
   /*! \brief variable count used for naming */
diff --git a/src/c_api/c_api_ndarray.cc b/src/c_api/c_api_ndarray.cc
index 5863f08762e6..b80e17c18071 100644
--- a/src/c_api/c_api_ndarray.cc
+++ b/src/c_api/c_api_ndarray.cc
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ int MXIsNumpyShape(bool* curr) {
 
 int MXSetIsNumpyShape(int is_np_shape, int* prev) {
   API_BEGIN();
-  *prev = Imperative::Get()->set_is_np_shape(static_cast<bool>(is_np_shape));
+  *prev = Imperative::Get()->set_is_np_shape(is_np_shape);
   API_END();
 }