diff --git a/src/libopensc/pkcs15-syn.c b/src/libopensc/pkcs15-syn.c
index e34758d9..d0bb4868 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/pkcs15-syn.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/pkcs15-syn.c
@@ -77,6 +77,16 @@ static const char *func_name    = "sc_pkcs15_init_func";
 static const char *exfunc_name  = "sc_pkcs15_init_func_ex";
 
 
+int sc_pkcs15_is_emulation_only(sc_card_t *card)
+{
+	switch (card->type) {
+		case SC_CARD_TYPE_MCRD_ESTEID:
+			return 1;
+		default:
+			return 0;
+	}
+}
+
 int
 sc_pkcs15_bind_synthetic(sc_pkcs15_card_t *p15card)
 {
diff --git a/src/libopensc/pkcs15.c b/src/libopensc/pkcs15.c
index 113557cc..831c8fb4 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/pkcs15.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/pkcs15.c
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ int sc_pkcs15_bind(sc_card_t *card,
 	enable_emu = scconf_get_bool(conf_block, "enable_pkcs15_emulation", 1);
 	if (enable_emu) {
 		emu_first = scconf_get_bool(conf_block, "try_emulation_first", 0);
-		if (emu_first) {
+		if (emu_first || sc_pkcs15_is_emulation_only(card)) {
 			r = sc_pkcs15_bind_synthetic(p15card);
 			if (r == SC_SUCCESS)
 				goto done;
diff --git a/src/libopensc/pkcs15.h b/src/libopensc/pkcs15.h
index ae85bb59..0ae73c04 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/pkcs15.h
+++ b/src/libopensc/pkcs15.h
@@ -675,6 +675,7 @@ typedef struct sc_pkcs15emu_opt {
 #define SC_PKCS15EMU_FLAGS_NO_CHECK	0x00000001
 
 extern int sc_pkcs15_bind_synthetic(sc_pkcs15_card_t *);
+extern int sc_pkcs15_is_emulation_only(sc_card_t *);
 
 int sc_pkcs15emu_object_add(sc_pkcs15_card_t *p15card, unsigned int type,
 			const sc_pkcs15_object_t *obj, const void *data);