diff --git a/linker/linker.cpp b/linker/linker.cpp
index 7066600..82d0d9e 100644
--- a/linker/linker.cpp
+++ b/linker/linker.cpp
@@ -1582,9 +1582,6 @@
       }
     }
 
-    if (fd != -1 && !ns->is_accessible(*realpath)) {
-      fd = -1;
-    }
     return fd;
   }
 
@@ -1701,6 +1698,13 @@
     return false;
   }
 
+  if (!ns->is_accessible(realpath)) {
+    // do not load libraries if they are not accessible for the specified namespace.
+    DL_ERR("library \"%s\" is not accessible for the namespace \"%s\"",
+           name, ns->get_name());
+    return false;
+  }
+
   soinfo* si = soinfo_alloc(ns, realpath.c_str(), &file_stat, file_offset, rtld_flags);
   if (si == nullptr) {
     return false;
diff --git a/tests/dlext_test.cpp b/tests/dlext_test.cpp
index 83791eb..97b5208 100644
--- a/tests/dlext_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/dlext_test.cpp
@@ -617,7 +617,8 @@
 
   const std::string lib_path = std::string(getenv("ANDROID_DATA")) + NATIVE_TESTS_PATH;
 
-  void* handle_public = dlopen((lib_path + "/public_namespace_libs/" + g_public_lib).c_str(), RTLD_NOW);
+  const std::string lib_public_path = lib_path + "/public_namespace_libs/" + g_public_lib;
+  void* handle_public = dlopen(lib_public_path.c_str(), RTLD_NOW);
   ASSERT_TRUE(handle_public != nullptr) << dlerror();
 
   ASSERT_TRUE(android_init_namespaces(path.c_str(), nullptr)) << dlerror();
@@ -652,6 +653,14 @@
 
   ASSERT_TRUE(handle1 != handle2);
 
+  // dlopen for a public library using an absolute path should work for isolated namespaces
+  extinfo.library_namespace = ns2;
+  handle = android_dlopen_ext(lib_public_path.c_str(), RTLD_NOW, &extinfo);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(handle != nullptr) << dlerror();
+  ASSERT_TRUE(handle == handle_public);
+
+  dlclose(handle);
+
   typedef const char* (*fn_t)();
 
   fn_t ns_get_local_string1 = reinterpret_cast<fn_t>(dlsym(handle1, "ns_get_local_string"));
@@ -715,7 +724,8 @@
   std::string path = std::string("libc.so:libc++.so:libdl.so:libm.so:") + g_public_lib;
 
   const std::string lib_path = std::string(getenv("ANDROID_DATA")) + NATIVE_TESTS_PATH;
-  void* handle_public = dlopen((lib_path + "/public_namespace_libs/" + g_public_lib).c_str(), RTLD_NOW);
+  const std::string lib_public_path = lib_path + "/public_namespace_libs/" + g_public_lib;
+  void* handle_public = dlopen(lib_public_path.c_str(), RTLD_NOW);
   ASSERT_TRUE(handle_public != nullptr) << dlerror();
 
   android_set_application_target_sdk_version(42U); // something > 23
@@ -758,7 +768,7 @@
   // Check dlopen by absolute path
   handle2 = android_dlopen_ext(lib_private_external_path.c_str(), RTLD_NOW, &extinfo);
   ASSERT_TRUE(handle2 == nullptr);
-  ASSERT_EQ("dlopen failed: library \"" + lib_private_external_path + "\" not found", dlerror());
+  ASSERT_EQ("dlopen failed: library \"" + lib_private_external_path + "\" is not accessible for the namespace \"private_isolated1\"", dlerror());
 
   extinfo.library_namespace = ns_isolated2;
 
@@ -769,7 +779,7 @@
   // Check dlopen by absolute path
   handle2 = android_dlopen_ext(lib_private_external_path.c_str(), RTLD_NOW, &extinfo);
   ASSERT_TRUE(handle2 == nullptr);
-  ASSERT_EQ("dlopen failed: library \"" + lib_private_external_path + "\" not found", dlerror());
+  ASSERT_EQ("dlopen failed: library \"" + lib_private_external_path + "\" is not accessible for the namespace \"private_isolated2\"", dlerror());
 
   typedef const char* (*fn_t)();
   fn_t ns_get_local_string = reinterpret_cast<fn_t>(dlsym(handle1, "ns_get_local_string"));
@@ -803,8 +813,9 @@
 
   const std::string lib_path = std::string(getenv("ANDROID_DATA")) + NATIVE_TESTS_PATH;
 
-  void* handle_public = dlopen((lib_path + "/public_namespace_libs/" + g_public_lib).c_str(),
-                               RTLD_NOW);
+  const std::string lib_public_path = lib_path + "/public_namespace_libs/" + g_public_lib;
+  void* handle_public = dlopen(lib_public_path.c_str(), RTLD_NOW);
+
   ASSERT_TRUE(handle_public != nullptr) << dlerror();
 
   ASSERT_TRUE(android_init_namespaces(path.c_str(), (lib_path + "/private_namespace_libs").c_str()))