diff --git a/libsemanage/man/man5/semanage.conf.5 b/libsemanage/man/man5/semanage.conf.5
index 380b58be..71712562 100644
--- a/libsemanage/man/man5/semanage.conf.5
+++ b/libsemanage/man/man5/semanage.conf.5
@@ -126,6 +126,11 @@ In order to compile the original HLL file into CIL, the same HLL file will need
 When set to "true", the kernel policy will be optimized upon rebuilds.
 It can be set to either "true" or "false" and by default it is set to "false".
 
+.TP
+.B multiple-decls
+When set to "true", duplicate type, type attribute, and role declarations will be allowed.
+It can be set to either "true" or "false" and by default it is set to "true".
+
 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 .TP
 semanage(8)
diff --git a/libsemanage/src/conf-parse.y b/libsemanage/src/conf-parse.y
index eac91344..beab85a2 100644
--- a/libsemanage/src/conf-parse.y
+++ b/libsemanage/src/conf-parse.y
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static int parse_errors;
         char *s;
 }
 
-%token MODULE_STORE VERSION EXPAND_CHECK FILE_MODE SAVE_PREVIOUS SAVE_LINKED TARGET_PLATFORM COMPILER_DIR IGNORE_MODULE_CACHE STORE_ROOT OPTIMIZE_POLICY
+%token MODULE_STORE VERSION EXPAND_CHECK FILE_MODE SAVE_PREVIOUS SAVE_LINKED TARGET_PLATFORM COMPILER_DIR IGNORE_MODULE_CACHE STORE_ROOT OPTIMIZE_POLICY MULTIPLE_DECLS
 %token LOAD_POLICY_START SETFILES_START SEFCONTEXT_COMPILE_START DISABLE_GENHOMEDIRCON HANDLE_UNKNOWN USEPASSWD IGNOREDIRS
 %token BZIP_BLOCKSIZE BZIP_SMALL REMOVE_HLL
 %token VERIFY_MOD_START VERIFY_LINKED_START VERIFY_KERNEL_START BLOCK_END
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ single_opt:     module_store
 	|	bzip_small
 	|	remove_hll
 	|	optimize_policy
+	|	multiple_decls
         ;
 
 module_store:   MODULE_STORE '=' ARG {
@@ -280,6 +281,17 @@ optimize_policy:  OPTIMIZE_POLICY '=' ARG {
 	free($3);
 }
 
+multiple_decls:  MULTIPLE_DECLS '=' ARG {
+	if (strcasecmp($3, "false") == 0) {
+		current_conf->multiple_decls = 0;
+	} else if (strcasecmp($3, "true") == 0) {
+		current_conf->multiple_decls = 1;
+	} else {
+		yyerror("multiple-decls can only be 'true' or 'false'");
+	}
+	free($3);
+}
+
 command_block: 
                 command_start external_opts BLOCK_END  {
                         if (new_external->path == NULL) {
@@ -365,6 +377,7 @@ static int semanage_conf_init(semanage_conf_t * conf)
 	conf->ignore_module_cache = 0;
 	conf->remove_hll = 0;
 	conf->optimize_policy = 0;
+	conf->multiple_decls = 1;
 
 	conf->save_previous = 0;
 	conf->save_linked = 0;
diff --git a/libsemanage/src/conf-scan.l b/libsemanage/src/conf-scan.l
index b06a896c..6438516b 100644
--- a/libsemanage/src/conf-scan.l
+++ b/libsemanage/src/conf-scan.l
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ bzip-blocksize	return BZIP_BLOCKSIZE;
 bzip-small	return BZIP_SMALL;
 remove-hll	return REMOVE_HLL;
 optimize-policy return OPTIMIZE_POLICY;
+multiple-decls return MULTIPLE_DECLS;
 "[load_policy]"   return LOAD_POLICY_START;
 "[setfiles]"      return SETFILES_START;
 "[sefcontext_compile]"      return SEFCONTEXT_COMPILE_START;
diff --git a/libsemanage/src/direct_api.c b/libsemanage/src/direct_api.c
index 7631c7bf..43ab2f4c 100644
--- a/libsemanage/src/direct_api.c
+++ b/libsemanage/src/direct_api.c
@@ -1346,6 +1346,7 @@ static int semanage_direct_commit(semanage_handle_t * sh)
 		cil_set_preserve_tunables(cildb, preserve_tunables);
 		cil_set_target_platform(cildb, sh->conf->target_platform);
 		cil_set_policy_version(cildb, sh->conf->policyvers);
+		cil_set_multiple_decls(cildb, sh->conf->multiple_decls);
 
 		if (sh->conf->handle_unknown != -1) {
 			cil_set_handle_unknown(cildb, sh->conf->handle_unknown);
diff --git a/libsemanage/src/semanage_conf.h b/libsemanage/src/semanage_conf.h
index 23c4b8b4..5db08f0c 100644
--- a/libsemanage/src/semanage_conf.h
+++ b/libsemanage/src/semanage_conf.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ typedef struct semanage_conf {
 	int remove_hll;
 	int ignore_module_cache;
 	int optimize_policy;
+	int multiple_decls;
 	char *ignoredirs;	/* ";" separated of list for genhomedircon to ignore */
 	struct external_prog *load_policy;
 	struct external_prog *setfiles;