diff --git a/ggml/include/ggml-backend.h b/ggml/include/ggml-backend.h
index d9aca71ae..19881a505 100644
--- a/ggml/include/ggml-backend.h
+++ b/ggml/include/ggml-backend.h
@@ -222,8 +222,10 @@ extern "C" {
     // = ggml_backend_dev_init(ggml_backend_dev_by_type(GPU) OR ggml_backend_dev_by_type(CPU), NULL)
     GGML_API ggml_backend_t ggml_backend_init_best(void);
 
-    // Load a backend from a dynamic library
+    // Load a backend from a dynamic library and register it
     GGML_API ggml_backend_reg_t ggml_backend_load(const char * path);
+    // Unload a backend if loaded dynamically and unregister it
+    GGML_API void               ggml_backend_unload(ggml_backend_reg_t reg);
     // Load all known backends from dynamic libraries
     GGML_API void               ggml_backend_load_all(void);
 
diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-backend-reg.cpp b/ggml/src/ggml-backend-reg.cpp
index 6b68c956c..78096af18 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-backend-reg.cpp
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-backend-reg.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "ggml-backend-impl.h"
 #include "ggml-backend.h"
 #include "ggml-impl.h"
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -45,8 +46,13 @@
 #include "ggml-kompute.h"
 #endif
 
+struct ggml_backend_reg_entry {
+    ggml_backend_reg_t reg;
+    void * handle;
+};
+
 struct ggml_backend_registry {
-    std::vector<ggml_backend_reg_t> backends;
+    std::vector<ggml_backend_reg_entry> backends;
     std::vector<ggml_backend_dev_t> devices;
 
     ggml_backend_registry() {
@@ -82,7 +88,13 @@ struct ggml_backend_registry {
 #endif
     }
 
-    void register_backend(ggml_backend_reg_t reg) {
+    ~ggml_backend_registry() {
+        while (!backends.empty()) {
+            ggml_backend_unload(backends.back().reg);
+        }
+    }
+
+    void register_backend(ggml_backend_reg_t reg, void * handle = nullptr) {
         if (!reg) {
             return;
         }
@@ -91,7 +103,7 @@ struct ggml_backend_registry {
         GGML_LOG_DEBUG("%s: registered backend %s (%zu devices)\n",
             __func__, ggml_backend_reg_name(reg), ggml_backend_reg_dev_count(reg));
 #endif
-        backends.push_back(reg);
+        backends.push_back({ reg, handle });
         for (size_t i = 0; i < ggml_backend_reg_dev_count(reg); i++) {
             register_device(ggml_backend_reg_dev_get(reg, i));
         }
@@ -126,7 +138,7 @@ size_t ggml_backend_reg_count() {
 
 ggml_backend_reg_t ggml_backend_reg_get(size_t index) {
     GGML_ASSERT(index < ggml_backend_reg_count());
-    return get_reg().backends[index];
+    return get_reg().backends[index].reg;
 }
 
 ggml_backend_reg_t ggml_backend_reg_by_name(const char * name) {
@@ -136,7 +148,7 @@ ggml_backend_reg_t ggml_backend_reg_by_name(const char * name) {
             return reg;
         }
     }
-    return NULL;
+    return nullptr;
 }
 
 // Device enumeration
@@ -156,7 +168,7 @@ ggml_backend_dev_t ggml_backend_dev_by_name(const char * name) {
             return dev;
         }
     }
-    return NULL;
+    return nullptr;
 }
 
 ggml_backend_dev_t ggml_backend_dev_by_type(enum ggml_backend_dev_type type) {
@@ -166,14 +178,14 @@ ggml_backend_dev_t ggml_backend_dev_by_type(enum ggml_backend_dev_type type) {
             return dev;
         }
     }
-    return NULL;
+    return nullptr;
 }
 
 // Convenience functions
 ggml_backend_t ggml_backend_init_by_name(const char * name, const char * params) {
     ggml_backend_dev_t dev = ggml_backend_dev_by_name(name);
     if (!dev) {
-        return NULL;
+        return nullptr;
     }
     return ggml_backend_dev_init(dev, params);
 }
@@ -181,7 +193,7 @@ ggml_backend_t ggml_backend_init_by_name(const char * name, const char * params)
 ggml_backend_t ggml_backend_init_by_type(enum ggml_backend_dev_type type, const char * params) {
     ggml_backend_dev_t dev = ggml_backend_dev_by_type(type);
     if (!dev) {
-        return NULL;
+        return nullptr;
     }
     return ggml_backend_dev_init(dev, params);
 }
@@ -192,9 +204,9 @@ ggml_backend_t ggml_backend_init_best(void) {
         dev = ggml_backend_dev_by_type(GGML_BACKEND_DEVICE_TYPE_CPU);
     }
     if (!dev) {
-        return NULL;
+        return nullptr;
     }
-    return ggml_backend_dev_init(dev, NULL);
+    return ggml_backend_dev_init(dev, nullptr);
 }
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
@@ -214,45 +226,66 @@ ggml_backend_reg_t ggml_backend_load(const char * path) {
     HMODULE handle = LoadLibraryA(path);
     if (!handle) {
         GGML_LOG_ERROR("%s: failed to load %s: %lu\n", __func__, path, GetLastError());
-        return NULL;
+        return nullptr;
     }
     ggml_backend_init_t backend_init = (ggml_backend_init_t) GetProcAddress(handle, "ggml_backend_init");
     if (!backend_init) {
         GGML_LOG_ERROR("%s: failed to find ggml_backend_init in %s: %lu\n", __func__, path, GetLastError());
         FreeLibrary(handle);
-        return NULL;
+        return nullptr;
     }
-    ggml_backend_reg_t reg = backend_init();
-    if (!reg) {
-        GGML_LOG_ERROR("%s: failed to initialize backend from %s\n", __func__, path);
-        FreeLibrary(handle);
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    GGML_LOG_DEBUG("%s: loaded %s backend from %s\n", __func__, ggml_backend_reg_name(reg), path);
-    ggml_backend_register(reg);
-    return reg;
 #else
     void * handle = dlopen(path, RTLD_NOW | RTLD_LOCAL);
     if (!handle) {
         GGML_LOG_ERROR("%s: failed to load %s: %s\n", __func__, path, dlerror());
-        return NULL;
+        return nullptr;
     }
     auto * backend_init = (ggml_backend_init_t) dlsym(handle, "ggml_backend_init");
     if (!backend_init) {
         GGML_LOG_ERROR("%s: failed to find ggml_backend_init in %s: %s\n", __func__, path, dlerror());
         dlclose(handle);
-        return NULL;
+        return nullptr;
     }
+#endif
     ggml_backend_reg_t reg = backend_init();
     if (!reg) {
         GGML_LOG_ERROR("%s: failed to initialize backend from %s\n", __func__, path);
         dlclose(handle);
-        return NULL;
+        return nullptr;
     }
     GGML_LOG_DEBUG("%s: loaded %s backend from %s\n", __func__, ggml_backend_reg_name(reg), path);
-    ggml_backend_register(reg);
+    get_reg().register_backend(reg, handle);
     return reg;
+}
+
+void ggml_backend_unload(ggml_backend_reg_t reg) {
+    auto it = std::find_if(get_reg().backends.begin(), get_reg().backends.end(),
+                           [reg](ggml_backend_reg_entry entry) { return entry.reg == reg; });
+
+    if (it == get_reg().backends.end()) {
+        GGML_LOG_ERROR("%s: backend not found\n", __func__);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    GGML_LOG_DEBUG("%s: unloading %s backend\n", __func__, ggml_backend_reg_name(reg));
+
+    // remove devices
+    get_reg().devices.erase(
+        std::remove_if(get_reg().devices.begin(), get_reg().devices.end(),
+                       [reg](ggml_backend_dev_t dev) { return ggml_backend_dev_backend_reg(dev) == reg; }),
+        get_reg().devices.end());
+
+    // unload library
+    if (it->handle) {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+        FreeLibrary((HMODULE) it->handle);
+#else
+        dlclose(it->handle);
 #endif
+    }
+
+    // remove backend
+    get_reg().backends.erase(it);
 }
 
 void ggml_backend_load_all() {