diff --git a/libusb/core.c b/libusb/core.c
index 3559470..ec429b7 100644
--- a/libusb/core.c
+++ b/libusb/core.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #endif
 
 struct libusb_context *usbi_default_context;
+struct libusb_context *usbi_fallback_context;
 static int default_context_refcnt;
 static usbi_mutex_static_t default_context_lock = USBI_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 static struct usbi_option default_context_options[LIBUSB_OPTION_MAX];
@@ -2284,7 +2285,7 @@
 
 	usbi_mutex_static_lock(&default_context_lock);
 
-	if (!ctx && usbi_default_context) {
+	if (!ctx && default_context_refcnt > 0) {
 		usbi_dbg(usbi_default_context, "reusing default context");
 		default_context_refcnt++;
 		usbi_mutex_static_unlock(&default_context_lock);
@@ -2355,9 +2356,15 @@
 	/* Initialize hotplug after the initial enumeration is done. */
 	usbi_hotplug_init(_ctx);
 
-	if (ctx)
+	if (ctx) {
 		*ctx = _ctx;
 
+		if (!usbi_fallback_context) {
+			usbi_fallback_context = _ctx;
+			usbi_warn(usbi_fallback_context, "installing new context as implicit default");
+		}
+	}
+
 	usbi_mutex_static_unlock(&default_context_lock);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -2430,6 +2437,8 @@
 
 	if (!ctx)
 		usbi_default_context = NULL;
+	if (ctx == usbi_fallback_context)
+		usbi_fallback_context = NULL;
 
 	usbi_mutex_static_unlock(&default_context_lock);
 
@@ -2576,7 +2585,8 @@
 #else
 	enum libusb_log_level ctx_level;
 
-	ctx = usbi_get_context(ctx);
+	ctx = ctx ? ctx : usbi_default_context;
+	ctx = ctx ? ctx : usbi_fallback_context;
 	if (ctx)
 		ctx_level = ctx->debug;
 	else
diff --git a/libusb/libusbi.h b/libusb/libusbi.h
index 7618236..b1fc88c 100644
--- a/libusb/libusbi.h
+++ b/libusb/libusbi.h
@@ -436,13 +436,26 @@
 };
 
 extern struct libusb_context *usbi_default_context;
+extern struct libusb_context *usbi_fallback_context;
 
 extern struct list_head active_contexts_list;
 extern usbi_mutex_static_t active_contexts_lock;
 
 static inline struct libusb_context *usbi_get_context(struct libusb_context *ctx)
 {
-	return ctx ? ctx : usbi_default_context;
+	static int warned = 0;
+
+	if (!ctx) {
+		ctx = usbi_default_context;
+	}
+	if (!ctx) {
+		ctx = usbi_fallback_context;
+		if (ctx && warned == 0) {
+			usbi_err(ctx, "API misuse! Using non-default context as implicit default.");
+			warned = 1;
+		}
+	}
+	return ctx;
 }
 
 enum usbi_event_flags {
diff --git a/libusb/version_nano.h b/libusb/version_nano.h
index 4271170..26ed7e7 100644
--- a/libusb/version_nano.h
+++ b/libusb/version_nano.h
@@ -1 +1 @@
-#define LIBUSB_NANO 11711
+#define LIBUSB_NANO 11712
diff --git a/tests/umockdev.c b/tests/umockdev.c
index 1eda532..488edc2 100644
--- a/tests/umockdev.c
+++ b/tests/umockdev.c
@@ -559,6 +559,32 @@
 }
 
 static void
+test_implicit_default(UMockdevTestbedFixture * fixture, UNUSED_DATA)
+{
+	libusb_device **devs = NULL;
+
+	clear_libusb_log(fixture, LIBUSB_LOG_LEVEL_INFO);
+	g_assert_cmpint(libusb_get_device_list(NULL, &devs), ==, 1);
+	libusb_free_device_list(devs, TRUE);
+	assert_libusb_log_msg(fixture, LIBUSB_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "\\[usbi_get_context\\].*implicit default");
+
+	/* Only warns once */
+	g_assert_cmpint(libusb_get_device_list(NULL, &devs), ==, 1);
+	libusb_free_device_list(devs, TRUE);
+	clear_libusb_log(fixture, LIBUSB_LOG_LEVEL_INFO);
+
+	libusb_init(NULL);
+	g_assert_cmpint(libusb_get_device_list(NULL, &devs), ==, 1);
+	libusb_exit(NULL);
+
+	/* We free late, causing a warning from libusb_exit. However,
+	 * we never see this warning (i.e. test success) because it is on a
+	 * different context.
+	 */
+	libusb_free_device_list(devs, TRUE);
+}
+
+static void
 test_close_flying(UMockdevTestbedFixture * fixture, UNUSED_DATA)
 {
 	UsbChat chat[] = {
@@ -1101,6 +1127,11 @@
 	           test_open_close,
 	           test_fixture_teardown);
 
+	g_test_add("/libusb/implicit-default", UMockdevTestbedFixture, NULL,
+	           test_fixture_setup_with_canon,
+	           test_implicit_default,
+	           test_fixture_teardown);
+
 	g_test_add("/libusb/close-flying", UMockdevTestbedFixture, NULL,
 	           test_fixture_setup_with_canon,
 	           test_close_flying,