diff --git a/old-makefile b/old-makefile
index 5ea5122f7e..0614829e6f 100644
--- a/old-makefile
+++ b/old-makefile
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ all: $(ALL_TARGETS)
 %-rc.o: %.rc
 	$(WINDRES) -I. $< $@
 
-mpv$(EXESUF): $(OBJECTS)
+mpv$(EXESUF): $(OBJECTS) player/main_fn.o
 mpv$(EXESUF):
 	$(CC) -o $@ $^ $(EXTRALIBS)
 
diff --git a/player/core.h b/player/core.h
index 10c2f1886d..b772f862f7 100644
--- a/player/core.h
+++ b/player/core.h
@@ -388,6 +388,7 @@ void mp_set_playlist_entry(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct playlist_entry *e);
 void mp_play_files(struct MPContext *mpctx);
 
 // main.c
+int mpv_main(int argc, char *argv[]);
 int mp_initialize(struct MPContext *mpctx);
 struct MPContext *mp_create(void);
 void mp_destroy(struct MPContext *mpctx);
diff --git a/player/main.c b/player/main.c
index 4493d8aeb5..99ba0becd2 100644
--- a/player/main.c
+++ b/player/main.c
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ int mp_initialize(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int mpv_main(int argc, char *argv[])
+int mpv_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     osdep_preinit(&argc, &argv);
 
@@ -519,12 +519,3 @@ static int mpv_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     return 1;
 }
-
-int main(int argc, char *argv[])
-{
-#if HAVE_COCOA
-    return cocoa_main(mpv_main, argc, argv);
-#else
-    return mpv_main(argc, argv);
-#endif
-}
diff --git a/player/main_fn.c b/player/main_fn.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..87e1681987
--- /dev/null
+++ b/player/main_fn.c
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#include "config.h"
+#include "core.h"
+
+#if HAVE_COCOA
+#include "osdep/macosx_application.h"
+#endif
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+#if HAVE_COCOA
+    return cocoa_main(mpv_main, argc, argv);
+#else
+    return mpv_main(argc, argv);
+#endif
+}
diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index 3c9373e295..5a1526656d 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ from waftools.checks.custom import *
 
 build_options = [
     {
+        'name': '--shared',
+        'desc': 'enable shared library',
+        'default': 'disable',
+        'func': check_true
+    }, {
         'name': '--static-build',
         'desc': 'static build',
         'default': 'disable',
@@ -739,6 +744,8 @@ _INSTALL_DIRS_LIST = [
     ('libdir',  '${PREFIX}/lib',      'library files'),
     ('confdir', '${PREFIX}/etc/mpv',  'configuration files'),
 
+    ('incdir',  '${PREFIX}/include',  'include files'),
+
     ('datadir', '${PREFIX}/share',    'data files'),
     ('mandir',  '${DATADIR}/man',     'man pages '),
     ('docdir',  '${DATADIR}/doc/mpv', 'documentation files'),
diff --git a/wscript_build.py b/wscript_build.py
index 164fc553d6..83d1444a9c 100644
--- a/wscript_build.py
+++ b/wscript_build.py
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ def build(ctx):
 
     ctx(
         target       = "mpv",
-        source       = ctx.filtered_sources(sources),
+        source       = ctx.filtered_sources(sources) + ["player/main_fn.c"],
         use          = ctx.dependencies_use(),
         includes     = [ctx.bldnode.abspath(), ctx.srcnode.abspath()] + \
                        ctx.dependencies_includes(),
@@ -435,6 +435,23 @@ def build(ctx):
         **cprog_kwargs
     )
 
+    if ctx.dependency_satisfied('shared'):
+        ctx.load("syms")
+        ctx(
+            target       = "mpv",
+            source       = ctx.filtered_sources(sources),
+            use          = ctx.dependencies_use(),
+            includes     = [ctx.bldnode.abspath(), ctx.srcnode.abspath()] + \
+                            ctx.dependencies_includes(),
+            features     = "c cshlib syms",
+            export_symbols_regex = 'mpv_.*',
+            install_path = ctx.env.LIBDIR,
+        )
+
+        headers = ["client.h"]
+        for f in headers:
+            ctx.install_as(ctx.env.INCDIR + '/libmpv/' + f, 'libmpv/' + f)
+
     if ctx.env.DEST_OS == 'win32':
         wrapctx = ctx(
             target       = "mpv",