diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index b1d54ec2251..36a1851decc 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -433,3 +433,8 @@ required-features = ["macros"]
 [[test]]
 name = "test_various"
 required-features = ["macros"]
+
+[patch.crates-io]
+# target-lexicon 0.13.5 does not yet include OperatingSystem::Zos;
+# use the main branch until the next release.
+target-lexicon = { git = "https://github.com/bytecodealliance/target-lexicon", branch = "main" }
diff --git a/pyo3-build-config/src/impl_.rs b/pyo3-build-config/src/impl_.rs
index 78299cdde44..bf900850d71 100644
--- a/pyo3-build-config/src/impl_.rs
+++ b/pyo3-build-config/src/impl_.rs
@@ -1593,6 +1593,8 @@ pub fn is_linking_libpython_for_target(target: &Triple) -> bool {
     target.operating_system == OperatingSystem::Windows
         // See https://github.com/PyO3/pyo3/issues/4068#issuecomment-2051159852
         || target.operating_system == OperatingSystem::Aix
+        // z/OS uses XPLINK linkage; extension modules must link libpython explicitly
+        || target.operating_system == OperatingSystem::Zos
         || target.environment == Environment::Android
         || target.environment == Environment::Androideabi
         || target.operating_system == OperatingSystem::Cygwin
diff --git a/pyo3-build-config/src/lib.rs b/pyo3-build-config/src/lib.rs
index 85ce1120275..b610f59664b 100644
--- a/pyo3-build-config/src/lib.rs
+++ b/pyo3-build-config/src/lib.rs
@@ -299,9 +299,11 @@ pub mod pyo3_build_script_impl {
         let is_emscripten = target.operating_system == OperatingSystem::Emscripten;
         let is_cygwin = target.operating_system == OperatingSystem::Cygwin;
         let is_windows = target.operating_system == OperatingSystem::Windows;
+        // z/OS uses LIBPATH for runtime library discovery, not ELF rpath
+        let is_zos = target.operating_system == OperatingSystem::Zos;
         // webassembly targets generally don't support rpath, emscripten is the only exception currently aware of:
         // https://github.com/emscripten-core/emscripten/issues/22126
-        if is_linking_libpython && !is_windows && !is_cygwin && (!is_wasm || is_emscripten) {
+        if is_linking_libpython && !is_windows && !is_cygwin && !is_zos && (!is_wasm || is_emscripten) {
             if let Some(lib_dir) = interpreter_config.lib_dir() {
                 println!("cargo:rustc-link-arg=-Wl,-rpath,{lib_dir}");
             }