diff --git a/python/cuda_cccl/cuda/compute/_bindings.py b/python/cuda_cccl/cuda/compute/_bindings.py
index 81aacebfbb..3947a4ac81 100644
--- a/python/cuda_cccl/cuda/compute/_bindings.py
+++ b/python/cuda_cccl/cuda/compute/_bindings.py
@@ -27,9 +27,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import importlib
 import os
 
-from cuda.pathfinder import (  # type: ignore[import-not-found]
-    load_nvidia_dynamic_lib,
-)
+from ctypes import CDLL
 
 from cuda.cccl._cuda_version_utils import detect_cuda_version, get_recommended_extra
 
@@ -43,8 +41,9 @@ def _load_cuda_libraries():
     # nvJitLink. Without this preload the extension imports only where a system
     # CUDA toolkit happens to be installed; a plain `pip install cuda-cccl[cu13]`
     # fails to find it even though cuda-toolkit[cudart] is a declared dependency.
-    for libname in ("nvrtc", "nvJitLink", "cudart"):
-        load_nvidia_dynamic_lib(libname)
+    CDLL("@libnvrtc@/lib/libnvrtc.so")
+    CDLL("@libnvjitlink@/lib/libnvJitLink.so")
+    CDLL("@libcudart@/lib/libcudart.so")
 
 
 _load_cuda_libraries()