diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index dd3bdd921..92da5815b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 ###################################################################################
 
 # Project modules
-MODULES = lib plugins src tests thirdparty tools packaging doc etc web
+MODULES = lib libext plugins src tests thirdparty tools packaging doc etc web
 
 # Default prefix for install target
 PREFIX ?= /usr/local
@@ -132,4 +132,4 @@ clean: $(addprefix clean-,$(filter-out thirdparty doc,$(MODULES)))
 .PHONY: all everything clean install
 
 -include $(wildcard $(BUILDDIR)/**/*.d)
--include $(addsuffix /Makefile.inc,$(MODULES))
\ No newline at end of file
+-include $(addsuffix /Makefile.inc,$(MODULES))
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.inc b/lib/Makefile.inc
index 79307906e..c44e997b9 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.inc
+++ b/lib/Makefile.inc
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 LIB_NAME = libvillas
+LIBEXT_NAME = libvillas-ext
 LIB_ABI_VERSION = 1
+LIBEXT_ABI_VERSION = 1
 
 LIB = $(BUILDDIR)/$(LIB_NAME).so.$(LIB_ABI_VERSION)
+LIBEXT = $(BUILDDIR)/$(LIBEXT_NAME).so.$(LIBEXT_ABI_VERSION)
 
 # Object files for libvillas
 LIB_SRCS = $(addprefix lib/nodes/, file.c cbuilder.c shmem.c) 		\
@@ -12,10 +15,18 @@ LIB_SRCS = $(addprefix lib/nodes/, file.c cbuilder.c shmem.c) 		\
               plugin.c node_type.c stats.c mapping.c sample_io.c shmem.c \
            )
 
+LIBEXT_SRCS = $(addprefix lib/, sample.c node.c queue.c queue_signalled.c \
+                memory.c shmem.c utils.c kernel/kernel.c log.c list.c sample_io.c \
+                plugin.c timing.c)
+
 LIB_CFLAGS  = $(CFLAGS) -fPIC
 LIB_LDFLAGS = -shared
 LIB_LDLIBS  = $(LDLIBS) -ldl -lrt -Wl,-soname,$(LIB_NAME).so.$(LIB_ABI_VERSION)
 
+LIBEXT_CFLAGS = $(CFLAGS) -fPIC
+LIBEXT_LDFLAGS = -shared
+LIBEXT_LDLIBS = -ljansson -lcrypto -lrt -Wl,-soname,$(LIBEXT_NAME).so.$(LIBEXT_ABI_VERSION)
+
 -include lib/hooks/Makefile.inc
 -include lib/apis/Makefile.inc
 -include lib/fpga/Makefile.inc
@@ -102,4 +113,19 @@ install-lib: lib
 clean-lib:
 	rm -rf $(BUILDDIR)/lib $(LIB)
 
-.PHONY: lib install-lib clean-lib $(BUILDDIR)/lib/defines
+LIBEXT_OBJS = $(patsubst %.c, $(BUILDDIR)/%.o, $(LIBEXT_SRCS))
+
+libext: $(LIBEXT)
+
+$(LIBEXT): $(LIBEXT_OBJS)
+	$(CC) $(LIBEXT_LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^ $(LIBEXT_LDLIBS)
+	ln -srf $@ $(BUILDDIR)/$(LIBEXT_NAME).so
+
+install-libext: libext
+	install -m 0755 -D -T $(LIBEXT) $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/lib/$(LIBEXT_NAME).so.$(LIBEXT_ABI_VERSION)
+	ln -srf $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/lib/$(LIBEXT_NAME).so.$(LIBEXT_ABI_VERSION) $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/lib/$(LIBEXT_NAME).so
+
+clean-libext:
+	rm -rf $(BUILDDIR)/lib $(LIBEXT)
+
+.PHONY: lib install-lib libext install-libext clean-lib $(BUILDDIR)/lib/defines
diff --git a/src/Makefile.inc b/src/Makefile.inc
index 7ec204d9a..4e434f365 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.inc
+++ b/src/Makefile.inc
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 TARGETS = $(BUILDDIR)/villas-node \
 	  $(BUILDDIR)/villas-pipe  \
 	  $(BUILDDIR)/villas-signal \
-	  $(BUILDDIR)/villas-shmem \
 	  $(BUILDDIR)/villas-test-rtt \
 	  $(BUILDDIR)/villas-test-cmp \
 	  $(BUILDDIR)/villas-hook
@@ -26,7 +25,7 @@ ifeq ($(shell pkg-config libxil; echo $$?),0)
 	endif
 endif
 
-src: $(TARGETS)
+src: $(TARGETS) $(BUILDDIR)/villas-shmem
 
 $(TARGETS): $(BUILDDIR)/villas-%: $(BUILDDIR)/src/%.o
 
@@ -37,6 +36,10 @@ $(BUILDDIR)/villas-fpga: $(addprefix $(BUILDDIR)/src/,fpga-bench.o $(BENCH_OBJS)
 $(BUILDDIR)/src/%.o: src/%.c $(BUILDDIR)/defines | $$(dir $$@)
 	$(CC) $(SRC_CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
+# Build villas-shmem only with libext (to ensure that libext contains everything needed)
+$(BUILDDIR)/villas-shmem: $(BUILDDIR)/src/shmem.o $(LIBS) libext
+	$(CC) $(SRC_LDFLAGS) $(BUILDDIR)/src/shmem.o $(filter-out -lvillas,$(SRC_LDLIBS)) -lvillas-ext -o $@
+
 # Link target executables
 $(TARGETS): | $(LIBS)
 	$(CC) $(SRC_LDFLAGS) $^ $(SRC_LDLIBS) -o $@