diff --git a/libselinux/src/label.c b/libselinux/src/label.c
index ba316df5..7d71e724 100644
--- a/libselinux/src/label.c
+++ b/libselinux/src/label.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ static char *selabel_sub(struct selabel_sub *ptr, const char *src)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static struct selabel_sub *selabel_subs_init(const char *path,struct selabel_sub *list)
+struct selabel_sub *selabel_subs_init(const char *path,struct selabel_sub *list)
 {
 	char buf[1024];
 	FILE *cfg = fopen(path, "r");
@@ -161,8 +161,6 @@ struct selabel_handle *selabel_open(unsigned int backend,
 	rec->validating = selabel_is_validate_set(opts, nopts);
 
 	rec->subs = NULL;
-	rec->subs = selabel_subs_init(selinux_file_context_subs_dist_path(), rec->subs);
-	rec->subs = selabel_subs_init(selinux_file_context_subs_path(), rec->subs);
 
 	if ((*initfuncs[backend])(rec, opts, nopts)) {
 		free(rec);
diff --git a/libselinux/src/label_file.c b/libselinux/src/label_file.c
index 937e5090..af7fd8f2 100644
--- a/libselinux/src/label_file.c
+++ b/libselinux/src/label_file.c
@@ -406,6 +406,7 @@ static int init(struct selabel_handle *rec, struct selinux_opt *opts,
 	FILE *homedirfp = NULL;
 	char local_path[PATH_MAX + 1];
 	char homedir_path[PATH_MAX + 1];
+	char subs_file[PATH_MAX + 1];
 	char *line_buf = NULL;
 	size_t line_len = 0;
 	unsigned int lineno, pass, i, j, maxnspec;
@@ -427,6 +428,17 @@ static int init(struct selabel_handle *rec, struct selinux_opt *opts,
 			break;
 		}
 
+	/* Process local and distribution substitution files */
+	if (!path) {
+		rec->subs = selabel_subs_init(selinux_file_context_subs_dist_path(), rec->subs);
+		rec->subs = selabel_subs_init(selinux_file_context_subs_path(), rec->subs);
+	} else {
+		snprintf(subs_file, sizeof(subs_file), "%s.subs_dist", path);
+		rec->subs = selabel_subs_init(subs_file, rec->subs);
+		snprintf(subs_file, sizeof(subs_file), "%s.subs", path);
+		rec->subs = selabel_subs_init(subs_file, rec->subs);
+	}
+
 	/* Open the specification file. */
 	if (!path)
 		path = selinux_file_context_path();
diff --git a/libselinux/src/label_internal.h b/libselinux/src/label_internal.h
index 008e09d3..02dbe736 100644
--- a/libselinux/src/label_internal.h
+++ b/libselinux/src/label_internal.h
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ struct selabel_sub {
 	struct selabel_sub *next;
 };
 
+extern struct selabel_sub *selabel_subs_init(const char *path,
+					     struct selabel_sub *list);
+
 struct selabel_lookup_rec {
 	security_context_t ctx_raw;
 	security_context_t ctx_trans;