diff --git a/language-extensions/python/src/CMakeLists.txt b/language-extensions/python/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 7f54e18b..db9605f5 100644
--- a/language-extensions/python/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/language-extensions/python/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ if (${PLATFORM} STREQUAL linux)
 
 	target_compile_options(PythonExtension PRIVATE -Wall -Wextra -g -O2 -fPIC -Werror -std=c++17 -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-maybe-uninitialized -fshort-wchar)
 
-	set(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS} -Wl,--as-needed -Wl,--export-dynamic -fopenmp")
+	# Static-link libstdc++/libgcc so libPythonExtension.so does not require a newer system
+	# GLIBCXX at load time (RHEL9 ships libstdc++ without GLIBCXX_3.4.32). --exclude-libs,ALL
+	# localizes the statically-linked symbols so they do not interpose the C++ host runtime.
+	set(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS} -Wl,--as-needed -Wl,--export-dynamic -fopenmp -static-libstdc++ -static-libgcc -Wl,--exclude-libs,ALL")
 
 	# Prefer shared libraries over static libraries
 	set(CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_SUFFIXES .so .so.1.0 ${CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_SUFFIXES})
@@ -72,8 +75,10 @@ if (${PLATFORM} STREQUAL linux)
 		message(STATUS "Shared Python library not found in standard locations, trying system default search")
 		find_library(PYTHON_LIB python${PYTHON_VERSION})
 	endif()
-	find_library(BOOST_PYTHON_LIB boost_python${PYTHON_VERSION_NO_DOT} ${BOOST_PYTHON_ROOT})
-	find_library(BOOST_NUMPY_LIB boost_numpy${PYTHON_VERSION_NO_DOT} ${BOOST_PYTHON_ROOT})
+	# Static-link Boost.Python/Boost.NumPy from the from-source boost root so
+	# libPythonExtension.so is self-contained (no external boost .so; portable across distros).
+	find_library(BOOST_PYTHON_LIB NAMES libboost_python${PYTHON_VERSION_NO_DOT}.a PATHS ${BOOST_PYTHON_ROOT} NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
+	find_library(BOOST_NUMPY_LIB NAMES libboost_numpy${PYTHON_VERSION_NO_DOT}.a PATHS ${BOOST_PYTHON_ROOT} NO_DEFAULT_PATH)
 
 	file(TO_CMAKE_PATH ${INCLUDE_ROOT}/python${PYTHON_VERSION} PYTHON_INCLUDE)
 	file(TO_CMAKE_PATH ${INCLUDE_ROOT}/boost BOOST_INCLUDE)
diff --git a/restore-packages.sh b/restore-packages.sh
index 0ba1ca30..862a4c84 100644
--- a/restore-packages.sh
+++ b/restore-packages.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,13 @@ apt-get -q -y install unixodbc-dev
 
 apt-get update -y
 apt-get install build-essential software-properties-common -y
-apt-get install gcc-13 g++-13 -y
+# Use GCC 11 (native on the Ubuntu 22.04 build image) so the extension links against
+# GLIBCXX_3.4.29 / glibc 2.35 and stays loadable on RHEL9 (glibc 2.34). GCC 13 emitted
+# GLIBCXX_3.4.32 and glibc 2.38 symbol references (_dl_find_object, arc4random,
+# __isoc23_*) that RHEL9 cannot satisfy, so libPythonExtension.so failed to load there.
+apt-get install gcc-11 g++-11 -y
 apt-get install cmake -y
-update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-13 70 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-13
+update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-11 70 --slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-11
 
 exit $?