diff --git a/common/database/database_lib_settings.cpp b/common/database/database_lib_settings.cpp
index 3e7c60285d..252757f66b 100644
--- a/common/database/database_lib_settings.cpp
+++ b/common/database/database_lib_settings.cpp
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ DATABASE_LIB_SETTINGS::DATABASE_LIB_SETTINGS( const std::string& aFilename ) :
 
     m_params.emplace_back( new PARAM<int>( "cache.max_age", &m_Cache.max_age, 10 ) );
 
+    m_params.emplace_back( new PARAM<bool>( "globally_unique_keys", &m_GloballyUniqueKeys, false ) );
+
     registerMigration( 0, 1,
                        [&]() -> bool
                        {
diff --git a/eeschema/sch_io/database/sch_io_database.cpp b/eeschema/sch_io/database/sch_io_database.cpp
index 443199993c..39f4198cd0 100644
--- a/eeschema/sch_io/database/sch_io_database.cpp
+++ b/eeschema/sch_io/database/sch_io_database.cpp
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ LIB_SYMBOL* SCH_IO_DATABASE::LoadSymbol( const wxString&   aLibraryPath,
 
     for( const DATABASE_LIB_TABLE& tableIter : m_settings->m_Tables )
     {
-        if( tableIter.name == tableName )
+        // no table means globally unique keys, try all tables
+        if( tableName.empty() || tableIter.name == tableName )
             tablesToTry.emplace_back( &tableIter );
     }
 
@@ -255,7 +256,8 @@ void SCH_IO_DATABASE::cacheLib()
             std::string rawName = std::any_cast<std::string>( result[table.key_col] );
             UTF8        sanitizedName = LIB_ID::FixIllegalChars( rawName, false );
             std::string sanitizedKey = sanitizedName.c_str();
-            std::string prefix = table.name.empty() ? "" : fmt::format( "{}/", table.name );
+            std::string prefix =
+                    ( m_settings->m_GloballyUniqueKeys || table.name.empty() ) ? "" : fmt::format( "{}/", table.name );
             std::string sanitizedDisplayName = fmt::format( "{}{}", prefix, sanitizedKey );
             wxString    name( sanitizedDisplayName );
 
diff --git a/include/database/database_lib_settings.h b/include/database/database_lib_settings.h
index 3633eae71d..3c8322f039 100644
--- a/include/database/database_lib_settings.h
+++ b/include/database/database_lib_settings.h
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ public:
 
     DATABASE_CACHE_SETTINGS m_Cache;
 
+    bool m_GloballyUniqueKeys;
+
 protected:
     wxString getFileExt() const override;
 };