diff --git a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
index 8742eacd..f0af9451 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/alpm.h
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ int alpm_db_set_pkgreason(pmdb_t *db, const char *name, pmpkgreason_t reason);
  * metadata is found. If it is true, the entire archive is read, which
  * serves as a verification of integrity and the filelist can be created.
  * The allocated structure should be freed using alpm_pkg_free().
+ * @param handle the context handle
  * @param filename location of the package tarball
  * @param full whether to stop the load after metadata is read or continue
  * through the full archive
@@ -376,8 +377,8 @@ int alpm_db_set_pkgreason(pmdb_t *db, const char *name, pmpkgreason_t reason);
  * @param pkg address of the package pointer
  * @return 0 on success, -1 on error (pm_errno is set accordingly)
  */
-int alpm_pkg_load(const char *filename, int full, pgp_verify_t check_sig,
-		pmpkg_t **pkg);
+int alpm_pkg_load(pmhandle_t *handle, const char *filename, int full,
+		pgp_verify_t check_sig, pmpkg_t **pkg);
 
 /** Free a package.
  * @param pkg package pointer to free
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/be_package.c b/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
index 639179b9..9f8264b4 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/be_package.c
@@ -30,15 +30,13 @@
 
 /* libalpm */
 #include "alpm_list.h"
+#include "alpm.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "handle.h"
 #include "package.h"
 #include "deps.h" /* _alpm_splitdep */
 
-/* global handle variable */
-extern pmhandle_t *handle;
-
 /**
  * Open a package changelog for reading. Similar to fopen in functionality,
  * except that the returned 'file stream' is from an archive.
@@ -225,13 +223,15 @@ static int parse_descfile(struct archive *a, pmpkg_t *newpkg)
 
 /**
  * Load a package and create the corresponding pmpkg_t struct.
+ * @param handle the context handle
  * @param pkgfile path to the package file
  * @param full whether to stop the load after metadata is read or continue
  *             through the full archive
  * @return An information filled pmpkg_t struct
  */
-pmpkg_t *_alpm_pkg_load_internal(const char *pkgfile, int full,
-		const char *md5sum, const char *base64_sig, pgp_verify_t check_sig)
+pmpkg_t *_alpm_pkg_load_internal(pmhandle_t *handle, const char *pkgfile,
+		int full, const char *md5sum, const char *base64_sig,
+		pgp_verify_t check_sig)
 {
 	int ret;
 	int config = 0;
@@ -384,13 +384,13 @@ error:
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-int SYMEXPORT alpm_pkg_load(const char *filename, int full,
+int SYMEXPORT alpm_pkg_load(pmhandle_t *handle, const char *filename, int full,
 		pgp_verify_t check_sig, pmpkg_t **pkg)
 {
-	/* Sanity checks */
+	ASSERT(handle != NULL, return -1);
 	ASSERT(pkg != NULL, RET_ERR(PM_ERR_WRONG_ARGS, -1));
 
-	*pkg = _alpm_pkg_load_internal(filename, full, NULL, NULL, check_sig);
+	*pkg = _alpm_pkg_load_internal(handle, filename, full, NULL, NULL, check_sig);
 	if(*pkg == NULL) {
 		/* pm_errno is set by pkg_load */
 		return -1;
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/package.h b/lib/libalpm/package.h
index 4e2dcf3d..b5d8f738 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/package.h
+++ b/lib/libalpm/package.h
@@ -141,8 +141,10 @@ pmpkg_t *_alpm_pkg_dup(pmpkg_t *pkg);
 void _alpm_pkg_free(pmpkg_t *pkg);
 void _alpm_pkg_free_trans(pmpkg_t *pkg);
 
-pmpkg_t *_alpm_pkg_load_internal(const char *filename, int full,
-		const char *md5sum, const char *base64_sig, pgp_verify_t check_sig);
+
+pmpkg_t *_alpm_pkg_load_internal(pmhandle_t *handle, const char *pkgfile,
+		int full, const char *md5sum, const char *base64_sig,
+		pgp_verify_t check_sig);
 
 int _alpm_pkg_cmp(const void *p1, const void *p2);
 int _alpm_pkg_compare_versions(pmpkg_t *local_pkg, pmpkg_t *pkg);
diff --git a/lib/libalpm/sync.c b/lib/libalpm/sync.c
index 16be6d9a..18828881 100644
--- a/lib/libalpm/sync.c
+++ b/lib/libalpm/sync.c
@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ int _alpm_sync_commit(pmhandle_t *handle, alpm_list_t **data)
 		/* load the package file and replace pkgcache entry with it in the target list */
 		/* TODO: alpm_pkg_get_db() will not work on this target anymore */
 		_alpm_log(PM_LOG_DEBUG, "replacing pkgcache entry with package file for target %s\n", spkg->name);
-		pmpkg_t *pkgfile =_alpm_pkg_load_internal(filepath, 1, spkg->md5sum,
+		pmpkg_t *pkgfile =_alpm_pkg_load_internal(handle, filepath, 1, spkg->md5sum,
 				spkg->base64_sig, check_sig);
 		if(!pkgfile) {
 			errors++;
diff --git a/src/pacman/query.c b/src/pacman/query.c
index c12aa91f..06fd704a 100644
--- a/src/pacman/query.c
+++ b/src/pacman/query.c
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ int pacman_query(alpm_list_t *targets)
 		char *strname = alpm_list_getdata(i);
 
 		if(config->op_q_isfile) {
-			alpm_pkg_load(strname, 1, PM_PGP_VERIFY_OPTIONAL, &pkg);
+			alpm_pkg_load(config->handle, strname, 1, PM_PGP_VERIFY_OPTIONAL, &pkg);
 		} else {
 			pkg = alpm_db_get_pkg(db_local, strname);
 		}
diff --git a/src/pacman/sync.c b/src/pacman/sync.c
index 57fec4bc..be6f147f 100644
--- a/src/pacman/sync.c
+++ b/src/pacman/sync.c
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ static int sync_cleancache(int level)
 			/* attempt to load the package, prompt removal on failures as we may have
 			 * files here that aren't valid packages. we also don't need a full
 			 * load of the package, just the metadata. */
-			if(alpm_pkg_load(path, 0, PM_PGP_VERIFY_NEVER, &localpkg) != 0
+			if(alpm_pkg_load(config->handle, path, 0, PM_PGP_VERIFY_NEVER, &localpkg) != 0
 					|| localpkg == NULL) {
 				if(yesno(_("File %s does not seem to be a valid package, remove it?"),
 							path)) {
diff --git a/src/pacman/upgrade.c b/src/pacman/upgrade.c
index fe49d882..8db88265 100644
--- a/src/pacman/upgrade.c
+++ b/src/pacman/upgrade.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ int pacman_upgrade(alpm_list_t *targets)
 		char *targ = alpm_list_getdata(i);
 		pmpkg_t *pkg;
 
-		if(alpm_pkg_load(targ, 1, check_sig, &pkg) != 0) {
+		if(alpm_pkg_load(config->handle, targ, 1, check_sig, &pkg) != 0) {
 			pm_fprintf(stderr, PM_LOG_ERROR, "'%s': %s\n",
 					targ, alpm_strerrorlast());
 			trans_release();
diff --git a/src/util/testpkg.c b/src/util/testpkg.c
index 32011d46..5b8831de 100644
--- a/src/util/testpkg.c
+++ b/src/util/testpkg.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	/* let us get log messages from libalpm */
 	alpm_option_set_logcb(handle, output_cb);
 
-	if(alpm_pkg_load(argv[1], 1, PM_PGP_VERIFY_OPTIONAL, &pkg) == -1
+	if(alpm_pkg_load(handle, argv[1], 1, PM_PGP_VERIFY_OPTIONAL, &pkg) == -1
 			|| pkg == NULL) {
 		switch(pm_errno) {
 			case PM_ERR_PKG_OPEN: