diff --git a/include/singleton.hpp b/include/singleton.hpp
index 7f9cae5..33e8812 100644
--- a/include/singleton.hpp
+++ b/include/singleton.hpp
@@ -1,9 +1,246 @@
 #ifndef TESTABLE_SINGLETON_INCLUDED_H
 #define TESTABLE_SINGLETON_INCLUDED_H
 
+#include <atomic>
 #include <mutex>
+#include <type_traits>
 #include <utility>
 
+#ifndef ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON
+#if defined(__GNUC__)    || \
+    defined(__clang__)   || \
+    defined(__MINGW32__) || \
+    defined(__MINGW64__) || \
+    defined(__CYGWIN__)  || \
+    defined(_MSC_VER)
+#define ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON 1
+#else
+#define ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON 0
+#endif
+#endif // ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON
+
+/**
+ * @brief Types of singletons
+ */
+enum class SingletonType : int32_t {
+    /**
+     * @brief Default case, 99% of the time this is enough
+     */
+    STATIC
+#if ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON
+    ,
+    /**
+     * @brief Load-time singleton: use for singleton that must outlive static destruction phase.
+     *
+     * @note
+     * Static instances don't always play nice with process termination:
+     * Problem with atexit handlers:
+     * - When a static instance is created (e.g. meyers singleton at first use) after
+     *   the atexit handler is registered, then by the time the atexit handler runs,
+     *   this static instance has already been destroyed.
+     * - This is not a problem if the static instance is created before the atexit handler
+     *   is registered, but when your library is used by some third party or customer processes,
+     *   you cannot rely on this.
+     * So a singleton type created with this LOAD_TIME parameter provides an alternative:
+     * - The instance is created at first use as usual.
+     * - However, its destruction is deferred until "unload time", when your library is unloaded,
+     *   or if linked statically during process termination, but after static destruction phase.
+     */
+    LOAD_TIME
+#endif // ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON
+};
+
+// Specialiaze some details of the singleton class in "private" Detail namespace
+namespace Detail {
+
+template <typename T, SingletonType instanceType>
+struct SingletonInstance;
+
+// Static lifetime singleton specialization (default)
+template <typename T>
+struct SingletonInstance<T, SingletonType::STATIC> {
+    SingletonInstance() noexcept = default;
+    SingletonInstance(const SingletonInstance&) = delete;
+    ~SingletonInstance()
+    {
+        // Destroys the locally-initialized instance. Injected ones are ignored (no ownership).
+        if (m_pExtern == LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID)
+            GetBuffer().~T();
+    }
+    SingletonInstance& operator=(const SingletonInstance&) = delete;
+    /// Returns the current instance.
+    operator T*() { return m_pExtern == LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID ? &GetBuffer() : m_pExtern; }
+    /// Constructs the singleton within the local buffer.
+    template <typename... Args>
+    void Emplace(Args&&... args)
+    {
+        this->~SingletonInstance();
+        new (&GetBuffer()) T(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+        m_pExtern = LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID;
+    }
+    /// Sets an external object as the instance.
+    /** @remark If `ptr` is `nullptr`, this is just reset.
+     */
+    void SetExtern(T* ptr)
+    {
+        this->~SingletonInstance();
+        m_pExtern = ptr;
+    }
+
+private:
+    /// A special pointer value to specify that the local buffer is constructed.
+    static T* const LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID;
+    /// nullptr if empty; LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID if using internal buffer;
+    /// pointer to external object otherwise.
+    T* m_pExtern = nullptr;
+
+    /// Returns an (uninitialized) internal buffer for storing T.
+    static T& GetBuffer()
+    {
+        // Static, uninitialized buffer for the singleton's object
+        static union U { T asT; U(){} ~U(){} } buffer;
+        return buffer.asT;
+    }
+};
+
+template <typename T>
+T* const SingletonInstance<T, SingletonType::STATIC>::LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID = reinterpret_cast<T*>(1);
+
+#if ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON
+// Load time singleton impl:
+// Some details:
+// This is platform specific:
+// The instance is created at first use as usual, but not as a static variable
+// but on the heap. Its deleter function is saved to a global registry, in reverse order of creation.
+// With the help of GCC's attribute((destructor)) (Clang compatible), the destroy functions
+// are called at "unload" time.
+
+using DeleteLoadTimeSingletonFunc = void (*)();
+struct LoadTimeSingletonEntry {
+    bool m_isValid; // To delete or not (to avoid double free between Reset and __attribute__(destructor))
+    DeleteLoadTimeSingletonFunc m_deleteFunc;
+    LoadTimeSingletonEntry* m_next;
+};
+
+// global stack for load time singletons dtors
+inline std::atomic<LoadTimeSingletonEntry*>& LoadTimeSingletonEntryStack()
+{
+    static std::atomic<LoadTimeSingletonEntry*> stack { nullptr };
+    return stack;
+}
+
+// - Register load time singletons for destruction at "unload" time.
+// - The order of destruction is the reverse of the order of registration.
+// - The input parameter must point to a static instance.
+inline void RegisterLoadTimeSingleton(LoadTimeSingletonEntry* entry)
+{
+    // - push to head
+    // from cppreference example:
+    // make new entry the new head, but if the head
+    // is no longer what's stored in new entry->m_next
+    // (some other thread must have inserted am entry just now)
+    // then put that new head into new entry->m_next and try again
+    entry->m_next = LoadTimeSingletonEntryStack().load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    while (!LoadTimeSingletonEntryStack().compare_exchange_weak(
+        entry->m_next, entry, std::memory_order_release, std::memory_order_relaxed))
+        ;
+}
+
+// - Platform independent part: delete in reverse order
+inline void DestroyLoadTimeSingletons()
+{
+    // memory safety is no concern here
+    for (auto entry = LoadTimeSingletonEntryStack().load(); entry != nullptr; entry = entry->m_next) {
+        if (entry->m_isValid)
+            entry->m_deleteFunc();
+    }
+}
+
+#if defined(_MSC_VER)
+// MSVC: Use .CRT$XPU section for late destruction
+typedef void (__cdecl *_PVFV)(void);
+inline void __cdecl DeinitializeLoadTimeSingletons()
+{
+    DestroyLoadTimeSingletons();
+}
+#pragma section(".CRT$XPU", long, read)
+__declspec(allocate(".CRT$XPU")) _PVFV p_deinit = DeinitializeLoadTimeSingletons;
+#else
+// GCC/Clang/CYGWIN/MINGW: Use __attribute__((destructor))
+inline void __attribute__((destructor)) DeinitializeLoadTimeSingletons()
+{
+    DestroyLoadTimeSingletons();
+}
+#endif
+
+// Load-time singleton specialization
+// API is compatible with static singleton specialization
+// however it has no custom dtor (as that would violate trivial destructibility)
+template <typename T>
+struct SingletonInstance<T, SingletonType::LOAD_TIME> {
+    /// Returns the current instance.
+    operator T*() { return m_pExtern == LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID ? g_pInternal : m_pExtern; }
+    /// Constructs the singleton on the heap, and pushes its deleter to the unload-time stack.
+    template <typename... Args>
+    void Emplace(Args&&... args)
+    {
+        Reset();
+        CreateInternalInstance(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+        RegisterLoadTimeSingleton(&g_entry);
+        m_pExtern = LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID;
+    }
+    /// Sets an external object as the instance.
+    /** @remark If `ptr` is `nullptr`, this is just reset.
+     */
+    void SetExtern(T* ptr)
+    {
+        Reset();
+        m_pExtern = ptr;
+    }
+
+private:
+    // Swapped the dtor on static instance for a Reset function
+    void Reset()
+    {
+         // Destroys the locally-initialized instance. Injected ones are ignored (no ownership).
+        if (m_pExtern == LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID)
+            DestroyInternalInstance();
+    }
+    // Manage internal instance on heap:
+    template <typename... Args>
+    static void CreateInternalInstance(Args&&... args)
+    {
+        g_pInternal = new T(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+        g_entry.m_isValid = true;
+    }
+    static void DestroyInternalInstance()
+    {
+        delete std::exchange(g_pInternal, nullptr);
+        g_entry.m_isValid = false;
+    }
+
+    /// A special pointer value to specify that the local buffer is constructed.
+    static T* const LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID;
+    /// nullptr if empty; LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID if using internal buffer;
+    /// pointer to external object otherwise.
+    T* m_pExtern = nullptr;
+    /// used instead of static buffer
+    static T* g_pInternal;
+    /// used for deleting this singleton
+    static LoadTimeSingletonEntry g_entry;
+};
+
+template <typename T>
+T* const SingletonInstance<T, SingletonType::LOAD_TIME>::LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID = reinterpret_cast<T*>(1);
+template <typename T>
+T* SingletonInstance<T, SingletonType::LOAD_TIME>::g_pInternal = nullptr;
+template <typename T>
+LoadTimeSingletonEntry SingletonInstance<T, SingletonType::LOAD_TIME>::g_entry
+    = { false, SingletonInstance<T, SingletonType::LOAD_TIME>::DestroyInternalInstance, nullptr };
+#endif // ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON
+
+} // namespace Detail
+
 /// Implements the singleton pattern, but makes unit testing easy.
 /** To use the Singleton class normally, inherit from it with the CRTP style, like:
   *
@@ -22,10 +259,10 @@
   * @remark The `Inject()` and `Reset()` functions are NOT thread safe! They should only be used
   *         in test code sections while implementation code is not running on a different thread.
   */
-template <typename T>
+template <typename T, SingletonType type = SingletonType::STATIC>
 struct Singleton
 {
-    using BaseType = Singleton<T>;
+    using BaseType = Singleton<T, type>;
 
     /// Returns the instance of the class.
     /** @remark The constructor arguments are only used if the instance is not constructed yet.
@@ -53,53 +290,21 @@ struct Singleton
 protected:
     Singleton() noexcept = default;
 private:
+    using Instance = Detail::SingletonInstance<T, type>;
+#if ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON
+    // note to maintainer: Load time singleton instance must be trivially destructible,
+    // otherwise it (or some of its members) will get destroyed during static destruction
+    // phase before "unload" time.
+    // this remains here to catch future regressions
+    static_assert(type != SingletonType::LOAD_TIME ||
+        std::is_trivially_destructible<Instance>::value,
+        "Load-time singletons must be trivially destructible");
+#endif // ENABLE_LOAD_TIME_SINGLETON
+
     Singleton(const Singleton&) = delete;
     Singleton& operator =(const Singleton&) = delete;
 
-    /// Holds the instance of T, either locally constructed or injected.
-    static struct Instance final
-    {
-        Instance() noexcept = default;
-        Instance(const Instance&) = delete;
-        ~Instance()
-        {
-            // Destroys the locally-initialized instance. Injected ones are ignored (no ownership).
-            if (m_pExtern == LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID)
-                GetBuffer().~T();
-        }
-        Instance& operator =(const Instance&) = delete;
-        /// Returns the current instance.
-        operator T* () { return m_pExtern == LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID ? &GetBuffer() : m_pExtern; }
-        /// Constructs the singleton within the local buffer.
-        template <typename ...Args>
-        void Emplace(Args&&... args)
-        {
-            this->~Instance();
-            new (&GetBuffer()) T(std::forward<Args>(args)...);
-            m_pExtern = LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID;
-        }
-        /// Sets an external object as the instance.
-        /** @remark If `ptr` is `nullptr`, this is just reset.
-          */
-        void SetExtern(T* ptr)
-        {
-            this->~Instance();
-            m_pExtern = ptr;
-        }
-    private:
-        /// A special pointer value to specify that the local buffer is constructed.
-        static T* const LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID;
-        /// nullptr if empty; LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID if using internal buffer;
-        /// pointer to external object otherwise.
-        T* m_pExtern = nullptr;
-        /// Returns an (uninitialized) internal buffer for storing T.
-        static T& GetBuffer()
-        {
-            // Static, uninitialized buffer for the singleton's object
-            static union U { T asT; U(){} ~U(){} } buffer;
-            return buffer.asT;
-        }
-    } g_instance;
+    static Instance g_instance;
 
     /// Holds a flag used for `std::call_once()`.
     static struct OnceFlag final
@@ -157,11 +362,9 @@ struct Singleton
         g_instance.SetExtern(object);
     }
 };
-template <typename T>
-typename Singleton<T>::Instance Singleton<T>::g_instance;
-template <typename T>
-typename Singleton<T>::OnceFlag Singleton<T>::g_onceFlag;
-template <typename T>
-T* const Singleton<T>::Instance::LOCAL_INSTANCE_ID = reinterpret_cast<T*>(1);
+template <typename T, SingletonType type>
+typename Singleton<T, type>::OnceFlag Singleton<T, type>::g_onceFlag;
+template <typename T, SingletonType type>
+typename Singleton<T, type>::Instance Singleton<T, type>::g_instance;
 
 #endif