diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index d9a6827ca1..a6f3cc4d9d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ jobs:
         include:
           - runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
             compiler: gcc
-            preset: debug
+            preset: debug-shared
             run-on-draft: true
             setup-mlir: true
           - runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 72c9cf6c27..f931b97259 100755
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ if(MQT_CORE_INSTALL)
   set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH ${BASEPOINT} ${BASEPOINT}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
                           ${BASEPOINT}/../${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
   set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
-  set(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH TRUE)
 endif()
 
 # add main library code
diff --git a/CMakePresets.json b/CMakePresets.json
index 49abb92583..0f72e68ae6 100644
--- a/CMakePresets.json
+++ b/CMakePresets.json
@@ -61,6 +61,15 @@
         "LLVM_ENABLE_ASSERTIONS": "ON"
       }
     },
+    {
+      "name": "debug-shared",
+      "inherits": "debug",
+      "displayName": "Debug config with shared Core libraries",
+      "cacheVariables": {
+        "BUILD_SHARED_LIBS": "ON",
+        "BUILD_MQT_CORE_SHARED_LIBS": "ON"
+      }
+    },
     {
       "name": "debug-no-mlir",
       "inherits": "base-unix-no-mlir",
@@ -144,6 +153,10 @@
       "name": "debug",
       "configurePreset": "debug"
     },
+    {
+      "name": "debug-shared",
+      "configurePreset": "debug-shared"
+    },
     {
       "name": "debug-no-mlir",
       "configurePreset": "debug-no-mlir"
@@ -197,6 +210,11 @@
       "inherits": "base",
       "configurePreset": "debug"
     },
+    {
+      "name": "debug-shared",
+      "inherits": "base",
+      "configurePreset": "debug-shared"
+    },
     {
       "name": "debug-no-mlir",
       "inherits": "base",
diff --git a/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake b/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
index 7861f92550..2e075a3760 100644
--- a/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ExternalDependencies.cmake
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ if(BUILD_MQT_CORE_MLIR)
     GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/unitaryfoundation/jeff-mlir.git
     GIT_TAG 7e11628de13d87798474386721c08f218b5f277e)
   function(_mqt_core_make_jeff_available)
+    # Embed jeff and its dependencies in the compiler's consumers, like our own compiler libraries.
+    set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OFF)
     # Cap'n Proto, which is fetched transitively by jeff-mlir, uses the generic BUILD_TESTING option
     # and defines a global `check` target when it is enabled. Do not let an embedding project's test
     # setting leak into this third-party dependency.
diff --git a/docs/installation.md b/docs/installation.md
index 5878f1a628..8207f61238 100644
--- a/docs/installation.md
+++ b/docs/installation.md
@@ -230,6 +230,12 @@ cmake --build build
 cmake --install build
 ```
 
+Set `BUILD_MQT_CORE_SHARED_LIBS=ON` to build the public Core libraries as shared
+libraries. This option defaults to `BUILD_SHARED_LIBS`. Internal compiler
+libraries and the bundled jeff dependencies remain static and are linked into
+their consumers; they are not an installed compiler SDK. QDMI device libraries
+are always shared so the driver can load them at runtime.
+
 Then, in your project's {code}`CMakeLists.txt`, use {code}`find_package()` to
 locate the installed library:
 
diff --git a/mlir/CMakeLists.txt b/mlir/CMakeLists.txt
index be72105fc1..0b58f3b987 100644
--- a/mlir/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/mlir/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the MIT License
 
+# Compiler libraries are private implementation details of the tools, bindings, and QDMI device.
+# Embed them in those consumers instead of creating unexported shared-library dependencies.
+set(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OFF)
+
 if(MSVC)
   add_compile_definitions(_SILENCE_NONFLOATING_COMPLEX_DEPRECATION_WARNING)
 endif()
diff --git a/src/qdmi/driver/CMakeLists.txt b/src/qdmi/driver/CMakeLists.txt
index d865043c8e..d445e6209c 100644
--- a/src/qdmi/driver/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/qdmi/driver/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ if(NOT TARGET ${TARGET_NAME})
   # Add driver library
   add_mqt_core_library(${TARGET_NAME} ALIAS_NAME QDMIDriver)
 
+  # A shared driver discovers device manifests beside its own library.
+  set_target_properties(${TARGET_NAME} PROPERTIES LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY
+                                                  "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}")
+
   # Add sources to target
   target_sources(${TARGET_NAME} PRIVATE DeviceRegistry.cpp Driver.cpp)