diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index dd2ae116..84ba9a6d 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
     <groupId>org.abstractj.kalium</groupId>
     <artifactId>kalium</artifactId>
-    <version>0.6.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>0.7.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <name>kalium</name>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/abstractj/kalium/NaCl.java b/src/main/java/org/abstractj/kalium/NaCl.java
index 56474221..c75f70cf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/abstractj/kalium/NaCl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/abstractj/kalium/NaCl.java
@@ -43,12 +43,24 @@ private static String libraryName() {
     }
 
     private static final class SingletonHolder {
-        public static final Sodium SODIUM_INSTANCE =
-                LibraryLoader.create(Sodium.class)
-                        .search("/usr/local/lib")
-                        .search("/opt/local/lib")
-                        .search("lib")
-                        .load(LIBRARY_NAME);
+        public static final Sodium SODIUM_INSTANCE;
+
+        static {
+            LibraryLoader<Sodium> loader = LibraryLoader.create(Sodium.class);
+            // custom paths (if any)
+            String libPath = System.getenv("LD_LIBRARY_PATH");
+            if (libPath != null) {
+                for (String path : libPath.split(":")) {
+                    loader.search(path);
+                }
+            }
+            // std paths
+            loader.search("/usr/local/lib")
+                    .search("/opt/local/lib")
+                    .search("lib");
+
+            SODIUM_INSTANCE = loader.load(LIBRARY_NAME);
+        }
 
     }