diff --git a/include/boost/dll/detail/posix/shared_library_impl.hpp b/include/boost/dll/detail/posix/shared_library_impl.hpp
index ae22f1f4..594cddb0 100644
--- a/include/boost/dll/detail/posix/shared_library_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/dll/detail/posix/shared_library_impl.hpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class shared_library_impl {
     typedef void* native_handle_t;
 
     shared_library_impl() noexcept
-        : handle_(NULL)
+        : handle_(nullptr)
     {}
 
     ~shared_library_impl() noexcept {
@@ -48,9 +48,13 @@ class shared_library_impl {
     shared_library_impl(shared_library_impl&& sl) noexcept
         : handle_(sl.handle_)
     {
-        sl.handle_ = NULL;
+        sl.handle_ = nullptr;
     }
 
+    explicit shared_library_impl(native_handle_t handle) noexcept
+        : handle_(handle)
+    {}
+
     shared_library_impl & operator=(shared_library_impl&& sl) noexcept {
         swap(sl);
         return *this;
@@ -152,7 +156,7 @@ class shared_library_impl {
             // returned handle is for the main program.
             ec.clear();
             boost::dll::detail::reset_dlerror();
-            handle_ = dlopen(NULL, native_mode);
+            handle_ = dlopen(nullptr, native_mode);
             if (!handle_) {
                 ec = std::make_error_code(
                     std::errc::bad_file_descriptor
@@ -194,7 +198,7 @@ class shared_library_impl {
     void* symbol_addr(const char* sb, std::error_code &ec) const noexcept {
         // dlsym - obtain the address of a symbol from a dlopen object
         void* const symbol = dlsym(handle_, sb);
-        if (symbol == NULL) {
+        if (symbol == nullptr) {
             ec = std::make_error_code(
                 std::errc::invalid_seek
             );
diff --git a/include/boost/dll/detail/windows/shared_library_impl.hpp b/include/boost/dll/detail/windows/shared_library_impl.hpp
index 61fa4201..e573bc17 100644
--- a/include/boost/dll/detail/windows/shared_library_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/dll/detail/windows/shared_library_impl.hpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class shared_library_impl {
     typedef boost::winapi::HMODULE_ native_handle_t;
 
     shared_library_impl() noexcept
-        : handle_(NULL)
+        : shared_library_impl(nullptr)
     {}
 
     ~shared_library_impl() noexcept {
@@ -41,9 +41,13 @@ class shared_library_impl {
     shared_library_impl(shared_library_impl&& sl) noexcept
         : handle_(sl.handle_)
     {
-        sl.handle_ = NULL;
+        sl.handle_ = nullptr;
     }
 
+    explicit shared_library_impl(native_handle_t handle) noexcept
+        : handle_(handle)
+    {}
+
     shared_library_impl & operator=(shared_library_impl&& sl) noexcept {
         swap(sl);
         return *this;
@@ -142,7 +146,7 @@ class shared_library_impl {
                 std::errc::operation_not_supported
             );
 
-            return NULL;
+            return nullptr;
         }
 
         // Judging by the documentation of GetProcAddress
@@ -151,7 +155,7 @@ class shared_library_impl {
         void* const symbol = boost::dll::detail::aggressive_ptr_cast<void*>(
             boost::winapi::get_proc_address(handle_, sb)
         );
-        if (symbol == NULL) {
+        if (symbol == nullptr) {
             ec = boost::dll::detail::last_error_code();
         }
 
diff --git a/include/boost/dll/shared_library.hpp b/include/boost/dll/shared_library.hpp
index 30b44f13..f7d8853e 100644
--- a/include/boost/dll/shared_library.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/dll/shared_library.hpp
@@ -138,6 +138,15 @@ class shared_library
         shared_library::load(lib_path, mode, ec);
     }
 
+    /*!
+    * Takes ownership of a loaded library.
+    *
+    * \param handle The native handle.
+    */
+    explicit shared_library(native_handle_t handle) noexcept
+        : base_t(handle)
+    {}
+
     /*!
     * Assignment operator. If this->is_loaded() then calls this->unload(). Does not invalidate existing symbols and functions loaded from lib.
     *