diff --git a/src/builtin.cpp b/src/builtin.cpp
index ae9df41c16..98c6d9b06f 100644
--- a/src/builtin.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin.cpp
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ Java_java_lang_Runtime_load(Thread* t, jclass, jstring name, jboolean mapName)
     }
   }
 
-  for (System::Library* lib = t->m->libraries; lib; lib = lib->next()) {
+  for (System::Library* lib = t->m->firstLibrary; lib; lib = lib->next()) {
     if (lib->name()
         and strcmp(lib->name(), n) == 0
         and lib->mapName() == mapName)
@@ -537,9 +537,11 @@ Java_java_lang_Runtime_load(Thread* t, jclass, jstring name, jboolean mapName)
     }
   }
 
-  if (UNLIKELY(not t->m->system->success
-               (t->m->system->load(&(t->m->libraries), n, mapName))))
-  {
+  System::Library* lib;
+  if (LIKELY(t->m->system->success(t->m->system->load(&lib, n, mapName)))) {
+    t->m->lastLibrary->setNext(lib);
+    t->m->lastLibrary = lib;
+  } else {
     object message = makeString(t, "library not found: %s", n);
     t->exception = makeUnsatisfiedLinkError(t, message);
   }
diff --git a/src/finder.cpp b/src/finder.cpp
index db200823ef..dc0144a895 100644
--- a/src/finder.cpp
+++ b/src/finder.cpp
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ class BuiltinElement: public JarElement {
 
   virtual void init() {
     if (index == 0) {
-      System::Library* library = 0;
+      System::Library* library;
       if (s->success(s->load(&library, 0, false))) {
         void* p = library->resolve(name);
         if (p) {
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ class BuiltinElement: public JarElement {
             index = JarIndex::open(s, region);
           }
         }
-        library->dispose();
+        library->disposeAll();
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/machine.cpp b/src/machine.cpp
index 96e9cbadfe..509af2d023 100644
--- a/src/machine.cpp
+++ b/src/machine.cpp
@@ -1788,7 +1788,7 @@ Machine::Machine(System* system, Heap* heap, Finder* finder,
   heapLock(0),
   classLock(0),
   referenceLock(0),
-  libraries(0),
+  firstLibrary(0),
   loader(0),
   bootstrapClassMap(0),
   monitorMap(0),
@@ -1812,10 +1812,12 @@ Machine::Machine(System* system, Heap* heap, Finder* finder,
       not system->success(system->make(&heapLock)) or
       not system->success(system->make(&classLock)) or
       not system->success(system->make(&referenceLock)) or
-      not system->success(system->load(&libraries, 0, false)))
+      not system->success(system->load(&firstLibrary, 0, false)))
   {
     system->abort();
   }
+
+  lastLibrary = firstLibrary;
 }
 
 void
@@ -1827,8 +1829,8 @@ Machine::dispose()
   classLock->dispose();
   referenceLock->dispose();
 
-  if (libraries) {
-    libraries->dispose();
+  if (firstLibrary) {
+    firstLibrary->disposeAll();
   }
 
   for (Reference* r = jniReferences; r;) {
diff --git a/src/machine.h b/src/machine.h
index 4ea31165e7..7862cd6fbd 100644
--- a/src/machine.h
+++ b/src/machine.h
@@ -1141,7 +1141,8 @@ class Machine {
   System::Monitor* heapLock;
   System::Monitor* classLock;
   System::Monitor* referenceLock;
-  System::Library* libraries;
+  System::Library* firstLibrary;
+  System::Library* lastLibrary;
   object loader;
   object bootstrapClassMap;
   object monitorMap;
diff --git a/src/posix.cpp b/src/posix.cpp
index cefdc5cb88..4f3b46857a 100644
--- a/src/posix.cpp
+++ b/src/posix.cpp
@@ -472,7 +472,11 @@ class MySystem: public System {
       return next_;
     }
 
-    virtual void dispose() {
+    virtual void setNext(System::Library* lib) {
+      next_ = lib;
+    }
+
+    virtual void disposeAll() {
       if (Verbose) {
         fprintf(stderr, "close %p\n", p);
       }
@@ -480,7 +484,7 @@ class MySystem: public System {
       dlclose(p);
 
       if (next_) {
-        next_->dispose();
+        next_->disposeAll();
       }
 
       if (name_) {
@@ -665,14 +669,9 @@ class MySystem: public System {
         n = 0;
       }
 
-      Library* newLib = new (allocate(this, sizeof(Library)))
+      *lib = new (allocate(this, sizeof(Library)))
         Library(this, p, n, nameLength, mapName);
 
-      if (*lib) {
-        static_cast<Library*>(*lib)->next_ = newLib;
-      }
-
-      *lib = newLib;
       return 0;
     } else {
 //       fprintf(stderr, "dlerror: %s\n", dlerror());
diff --git a/src/process.h b/src/process.h
index bc45f9bdc3..80bb26b658 100644
--- a/src/process.h
+++ b/src/process.h
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ findMethod(Thread* t, object method, object class_)
 inline void*
 resolveNativeMethod(Thread* t, object method)
 {
-  for (System::Library* lib = t->m->libraries; lib; lib = lib->next()) {
+  for (System::Library* lib = t->m->firstLibrary; lib; lib = lib->next()) {
     void* p = lib->resolve(reinterpret_cast<const char*>
                            (&byteArrayBody(t, methodCode(t, method), 0)));
     if (p) {
diff --git a/src/system.h b/src/system.h
index ad1a7d9e28..2f06357cbf 100644
--- a/src/system.h
+++ b/src/system.h
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ class System {
     virtual const char* name() = 0;
     virtual bool mapName() = 0;
     virtual Library* next() = 0;
-    virtual void dispose() = 0;
+    virtual void setNext(Library* lib) = 0;
+    virtual void disposeAll() = 0;
   };
 
   class SignalHandler {
diff --git a/src/windows.cpp b/src/windows.cpp
index c713634689..60e22e0df2 100644
--- a/src/windows.cpp
+++ b/src/windows.cpp
@@ -457,7 +457,11 @@ class MySystem: public System {
       return next_;
     }
 
-    virtual void dispose() {
+    virtual void setNext(System::Library* lib) {
+      next_ = lib;
+    }
+
+    virtual void disposeAll() {
       if (Verbose) {
         fprintf(stderr, "close %p\n", handle);
       }
@@ -634,14 +638,9 @@ class MySystem: public System {
         n = 0;
       }
 
-      Library* newLib = new (allocate(this, sizeof(Library)))
+      *lib = new (allocate(this, sizeof(Library)))
         Library(this, p, n, nameLength, mapName);
 
-      if (*lib) {
-        static_cast<Library*>(*lib)->next = newLib;
-      }
-
-      *lib = newLib;
       return 0;
     } else {
       return 1;