diff --git a/doc/src/Developer_platform.rst b/doc/src/Developer_platform.rst
index 74ad4c1aac..19836b1ff2 100644
--- a/doc/src/Developer_platform.rst
+++ b/doc/src/Developer_platform.rst
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ Dynamically loaded object or library functions
 .. doxygenfunction:: dlsym
    :project: progguide
 
+.. doxygenfunction:: dlerror
+   :project: progguide
+
 Compressed file I/O functions
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/src/platform.cpp b/src/platform.cpp
index 1936baaf87..427085a6be 100644
--- a/src/platform.cpp
+++ b/src/platform.cpp
@@ -507,6 +507,13 @@ void *platform::dlopen(const std::string &fname)
   return (void *) LoadLibrary(fname.c_str());
 }
 
+// return dynamic linker error string
+
+std::string platform::dlerror()
+{
+  return "";
+}
+
 // close a shared object
 int platform::dlclose(void *handle)
 {
@@ -528,6 +535,15 @@ void *platform::dlopen(const std::string &fname)
   return ::dlopen(fname.c_str(), RTLD_NOW | RTLD_GLOBAL);
 }
 
+// return dynamic linker error string
+
+std::string platform::dlerror()
+{
+  const char *errmesg = ::dlerror();
+  if (errmesg) return std::string(errmesg);
+  else return "";
+}
+
 // close a shared object
 int platform::dlclose(void *handle)
 {
diff --git a/src/platform.h b/src/platform.h
index ef45ceff9b..794fd692b0 100644
--- a/src/platform.h
+++ b/src/platform.h
@@ -133,6 +133,16 @@ namespace platform {
 
   void *dlopen(const std::string &fname);
 
+  /*! Obtain error diagnostic info after dynamic linking function calls
+   *
+   * Return a human-readable string describing the most recent error that
+   * occurred when using one of the functions for dynamic loading objects
+   * the last call to this function. The string is empty, if there was no error.
+   *
+   * \return  string with error message or empty */
+
+  std::string dlerror();
+
   /*! Close a shared object
    *
    * This releases the object corresponding to the provided handle.