diff --git a/base b/base
index fd34cb21c..4ecca10c5 160000
--- a/base
+++ b/base
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit fd34cb21ce85583cce77f463d60607cd537d83b8
+Subproject commit 4ecca10c53ef54550957fe6b1b72d4a2c5d8c863
diff --git a/frontend/device/kindle/device.lua b/frontend/device/kindle/device.lua
index 4bc3588d8..cc8b0025e 100644
--- a/frontend/device/kindle/device.lua
+++ b/frontend/device/kindle/device.lua
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ end
 
 function Kindle:openInputDevices()
     -- Auto-detect input devices (via FBInk's fbink_input_scan)
-    local ok, FBInkInput = pcall(ffi.load, "fbink_input")
+    local ok, FBInkInput = pcall(ffi.loadlib, "fbink_input")
     if not ok then
         -- NOP fallback for the testsuite...
         FBInkInput = { fbink_input_scan = function() end }
diff --git a/frontend/device/kobo/device.lua b/frontend/device/kobo/device.lua
index 54bf016ea..937a71d00 100644
--- a/frontend/device/kobo/device.lua
+++ b/frontend/device/kobo/device.lua
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ function Kobo:init()
     self:initEventAdjustHooks()
 
     -- Auto-detect input devices (via FBInk's fbink_input_scan)
-    local ok, FBInkInput = pcall(ffi.load, "fbink_input")
+    local ok, FBInkInput = pcall(ffi.loadlib, "fbink_input")
     if not ok then
         -- NOP fallback for the testsuite...
         FBInkInput = { fbink_input_scan = NOP }
diff --git a/frontend/ui/message/filemessagequeue.lua b/frontend/ui/message/filemessagequeue.lua
index 136db9a3f..99e616806 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/message/filemessagequeue.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/message/filemessagequeue.lua
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ local ffi = require("ffi")
 local logger = require("logger")
 local MessageQueue = require("ui/message/messagequeue")
 local _ = require("ffi/zeromq_h")
-local czmq = ffi.load("libs/libczmq.so.4")
-local filemq = ffi.load("libs/libfmq.so.1")
+local czmq = ffi.loadlib("czmq", "4")
+local filemq = ffi.loadlib("fmq", "1")
 
 local FileMessageQueue = MessageQueue:extend{
     client = nil,
diff --git a/frontend/ui/message/messagequeue.lua b/frontend/ui/message/messagequeue.lua
index e8bf3fd15..591d1d86f 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/message/messagequeue.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/message/messagequeue.lua
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ local Event = require("ui/event")
 local logger = require("logger")
 
 local _ = require("ffi/zeromq_h")
-local czmq = ffi.load("libs/libczmq.so.4")
+local czmq = ffi.loadlib("czmq", "4")
 
 local MessageQueue = {}
 
diff --git a/frontend/ui/message/streammessagequeue.lua b/frontend/ui/message/streammessagequeue.lua
index 2d0b15ddc..1a27aa347 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/message/streammessagequeue.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/message/streammessagequeue.lua
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ local logger = require("logger")
 local MessageQueue = require("ui/message/messagequeue")
 
 local _ = require("ffi/zeromq_h")
-local zmq = ffi.load("libs/libzmq.so.5")
-local czmq = ffi.load("libs/libczmq.so.4")
+local zmq = ffi.loadlib("zmq", "5")
+local czmq = ffi.loadlib("czmq", "4")
 local C = ffi.C
 
 local StreamMessageQueue = MessageQueue:extend{
diff --git a/frontend/ui/message/streammessagequeueserver.lua b/frontend/ui/message/streammessagequeueserver.lua
index e5496aa47..c83e45044 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/message/streammessagequeueserver.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/message/streammessagequeueserver.lua
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ local logger = require("logger")
 local MessageQueue = require("ui/message/messagequeue")
 
 local _ = require("ffi/zeromq_h")
-local zmq = ffi.load("libs/libzmq.so.5")
-local czmq = ffi.load("libs/libczmq.so.4")
+local zmq = ffi.loadlib("zmq", "5")
+local czmq = ffi.loadlib("czmq", "4")
 local C = ffi.C
 
 local StreamMessageQueueServer = MessageQueue:extend{
diff --git a/platform/android/llapp_main.lua b/platform/android/llapp_main.lua
index c71e6ce58..0c1569f31 100644
--- a/platform/android/llapp_main.lua
+++ b/platform/android/llapp_main.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 local android = require("android")
 android.dl.library_path = android.dl.library_path .. ":" .. android.dir .. "/libs"
 
+-- setup Lua paths, and ffi helper / override
+require("setupkoenv")
+
 local lfs = require("libs/libkoreader-lfs")
 local ffi = require("ffi")
 local dummy = require("ffi/posix_h")
diff --git a/platform/android/luajit-launcher b/platform/android/luajit-launcher
index e8229d5c6..9b91b9548 160000
--- a/platform/android/luajit-launcher
+++ b/platform/android/luajit-launcher
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit e8229d5c63154040e24a502bdd37e9c2c226dfab
+Subproject commit 9b91b9548e151d2cac79b1fd2a613e22dfd9d62f
diff --git a/plugins/externalkeyboard.koplugin/main.lua b/plugins/externalkeyboard.koplugin/main.lua
index ca7eabce3..fa42aa322 100644
--- a/plugins/externalkeyboard.koplugin/main.lua
+++ b/plugins/externalkeyboard.koplugin/main.lua
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ end)
 local function findKeyboards()
     local keyboards = {}
 
-    local FBInkInput = ffi.load("fbink_input")
+    local FBInkInput = ffi.loadlib("fbink_input")
     local dev_count = ffi.new("size_t[1]")
     local devices = FBInkInput.fbink_input_scan(C.INPUT_KEYBOARD, 0, 0, dev_count)
     if devices ~= nil then
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ end
 local function checkKeyboard(path)
     local keyboard
 
-    local FBInkInput = ffi.load("fbink_input")
+    local FBInkInput = ffi.loadlib("fbink_input")
     local dev = FBInkInput.fbink_input_check(path, C.INPUT_KEYBOARD, 0, 0)
     if dev ~= nil then
         if dev.matched then
diff --git a/setupkoenv.lua b/setupkoenv.lua
index 2bd1aad9b..ff1feb8c7 100644
--- a/setupkoenv.lua
+++ b/setupkoenv.lua
@@ -1,32 +1,9 @@
--- set search path for 'require()'
+-- Set search path for `require()`.
 package.path =
     "common/?.lua;frontend/?.lua;" ..
     package.path
 package.cpath =
     "common/?.so;common/?.dll;/usr/lib/lua/?.so;" ..
     package.cpath
-
--- set search path for 'ffi.load()'
-local ffi = require("ffi")
-require("ffi/posix_h")
-local C = ffi.C
-if ffi.os == "Windows" then
-    C._putenv("PATH=libs;common;")
-end
-local ffi_load = ffi.load
--- patch ffi.load for thirdparty luajit libraries
-ffi.load = function(lib, global)
-    io.write("ffi.load: ", lib, global and " (RTLD_GLOBAL)\n" or "\n")
-    local loaded, re = pcall(ffi_load, lib)
-    if loaded then return re end
-
-    local lib_path = package.searchpath(lib, "./lib?.so;./libs/lib?.so;./libs/lib?.so.1")
-
-    if not lib_path then
-        io.write("ffi.load (warning): ", re, "\n")
-        error("Not able to load dynamic library: " .. lib)
-    else
-        io.write("ffi.load (assisted searchpath): ", lib_path, "\n")
-        return ffi_load(lib_path, global)
-    end
-end
+-- Setup `ffi.load` override and 'loadlib' helper.
+require("ffi/loadlib")