diff --git a/cpython-unix/build-cpython.sh b/cpython-unix/build-cpython.sh
index cc93f0ad..306c20f8 100755
--- a/cpython-unix/build-cpython.sh
+++ b/cpython-unix/build-cpython.sh
@@ -322,6 +322,13 @@ if [ -n "${PYTHON_MEETS_MINIMUM_VERSION_3_12}" ]; then
     patch -p1 -i ${ROOT}/patch-test-embed-prevent-segfault.patch
 fi
 
+# Pad the install name with slashes. We'll replace this with NULs after the build.
+if [ -n "${PYTHON_MEETS_MAXIMUM_VERSION_3_11}" ]; then
+    patch -p1 -i ${ROOT}/patch-python-install-name-padding-3.11.patch
+else
+    patch -p1 -i ${ROOT}/patch-python-install-name-padding.patch
+fi
+
 # Most bits look at CFLAGS. But setup.py only looks at CPPFLAGS.
 # So we need to set both.
 CFLAGS="${EXTRA_TARGET_CFLAGS} -fPIC -I${TOOLS_PATH}/deps/include -I${TOOLS_PATH}/deps/include/ncursesw"
@@ -723,6 +730,11 @@ if [ "${PYBUILD_SHARED}" = "1" ]; then
                 -change /install/lib/${LIBPYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY_BASENAME} @executable_path/../lib/${LIBPYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY_BASENAME} \
                 ${ROOT}/out/python/install/bin/python${PYTHON_MAJMIN_VERSION}${PYTHON_BINARY_SUFFIX}
         fi
+
+        # For cleanness, replace the slash-based padding for the install name with NUL-based
+        # padding. install_name_tool will not accept trailing NULs so we do it ourselves. Do this
+        # after any calls to install_name_tool.
+        ${BUILD_PYTHON} ${ROOT}/repad_install_name.py ${ROOT}/out/python/install/lib/${LIBPYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY_BASENAME}
     else # (not macos)
         LIBPYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY_BASENAME=libpython${PYTHON_MAJMIN_VERSION}${PYTHON_BINARY_SUFFIX}.so.1.0
         LIBPYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY=${ROOT}/out/python/install/lib/${LIBPYTHON_SHARED_LIBRARY_BASENAME}
diff --git a/cpython-unix/patch-python-install-name-padding-3.12.patch b/cpython-unix/patch-python-install-name-padding-3.12.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..754ea5dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpython-unix/patch-python-install-name-padding-3.12.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+From 2861855c08df773eaa640f1fe354c6f792b649a6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Geoffrey Thomas <geofft@ldpreload.com>
+Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:53:37 -0400
+Subject: [PATCH 1/1] Makefile.pre.in: Add padding to libpython.dylib
+ install_name
+
+This gives some room for later users to change the name by binary
+editing, without requiring install_name_tool or some other Mach-O
+writer.
+---
+ Makefile.pre.in | 5 ++++-
+ 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
+index 8fbcd7ac170..ff88a390cab 100644
+--- a/Makefile.pre.in
++++ b/Makefile.pre.in
+@@ -760,8 +760,11 @@ libpython$(LDVERSION).so: $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(DTRACE_OBJS)
+ libpython3.so:	libpython$(LDVERSION).so
+ 	$(BLDSHARED) $(NO_AS_NEEDED) -o $@ -Wl,-h$@ $^
+ 
++PADDING_128 := /./././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././.
++PADDING_512 := $(PADDING_128)$(PADDING_128)$(PADDING_128)$(PADDING_128)
++
+ libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib: $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
+-	 $(CC) -dynamiclib -Wl,-single_module $(PY_CORE_LDFLAGS) -undefined dynamic_lookup -Wl,-install_name,$(prefix)/lib/libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib -Wl,-compatibility_version,$(VERSION) -Wl,-current_version,$(VERSION) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(DTRACE_OBJS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM); \
++	 $(CC) -dynamiclib -Wl,-single_module $(PY_CORE_LDFLAGS) -undefined dynamic_lookup -Wl,-install_name,$(prefix)$(PADDING_512)/lib/libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib -Wl,-compatibility_version,$(VERSION) -Wl,-current_version,$(VERSION) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(DTRACE_OBJS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM); \
+ 
+ 
+ libpython$(VERSION).sl: $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
+-- 
+2.39.5 (Apple Git-154)
+
diff --git a/cpython-unix/patch-python-install-name-padding.patch b/cpython-unix/patch-python-install-name-padding.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f66950ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpython-unix/patch-python-install-name-padding.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+From 676e5422e4ee442508c8a8cb4f8c49123ddb5d66 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Geoffrey Thomas <geofft@ldpreload.com>
+Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2025 09:53:37 -0400
+Subject: [PATCH 1/1] Makefile.pre.in: Add padding to libpython.dylib
+ install_name
+
+This gives some room for later users to change the name by binary
+editing, without requiring install_name_tool or some other Mach-O
+writer.
+---
+ Makefile.pre.in | 5 ++++-
+ 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/Makefile.pre.in b/Makefile.pre.in
+index 538229220fd..dd0b044abf3 100644
+--- a/Makefile.pre.in
++++ b/Makefile.pre.in
+@@ -918,8 +918,11 @@ libpython$(LDVERSION).so: $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(DTRACE_OBJS)
+ libpython3.so:	libpython$(LDVERSION).so
+ 	$(BLDSHARED) $(NO_AS_NEEDED) -o $@ -Wl,-h$@ $^
+ 
++PADDING_128 := /./././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././././.
++PADDING_512 := $(PADDING_128)$(PADDING_128)$(PADDING_128)$(PADDING_128)
++
+ libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib: $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
+-	 $(CC) -dynamiclib $(PY_CORE_LDFLAGS) -undefined dynamic_lookup -Wl,-install_name,$(prefix)/lib/libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib -Wl,-compatibility_version,$(VERSION) -Wl,-current_version,$(VERSION) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(DTRACE_OBJS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM); \
++	 $(CC) -dynamiclib $(PY_CORE_LDFLAGS) -undefined dynamic_lookup -Wl,-install_name,$(prefix)$(PADDING_512)/lib/libpython$(LDVERSION).dylib -Wl,-compatibility_version,$(VERSION) -Wl,-current_version,$(VERSION) -o $@ $(LIBRARY_OBJS) $(DTRACE_OBJS) $(SHLIBS) $(LIBC) $(LIBM); \
+ 
+ 
+ libpython$(VERSION).sl: $(LIBRARY_OBJS)
+-- 
+2.39.5 (Apple Git-154)
+
diff --git a/cpython-unix/repad_install_name.py b/cpython-unix/repad_install_name.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..bd376d4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpython-unix/repad_install_name.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+#
+# usage: repad_install_name.py <filename>
+# Rewrites /usr/lib/././././libpython.dylib to /usr/lib/libpython.dylib,
+# keeping NUL padding in the load command.
+#
+# Useful references:
+#   `xcrun --show-sdk-platform-path`/Developer/usr/include/mach-o/loader.h
+#   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mach-O (some factual inaccuracies)
+
+import re
+import struct
+import sys
+
+
+def rewrite(f):
+    f.seek(0, 0)
+    mach_header = f.read(28)
+    magic, cputype, cpusubtype, filetype, ncmds, sizeofcmds, flags = struct.unpack(
+        "=7I", mach_header
+    )
+    if magic == 0xFEEDFACE:
+        pass
+    elif magic == 0xFEEDFACF:
+        _reserved = f.read(4)
+    elif magic in (0xCEFAEDFE, 0xCFFAEDFE):
+        raise RuntimeError("Wrong-endian Mach-O file")
+    else:
+        raise RuntimeError("Not a Mach-O file?")
+
+    loadstart = f.tell()
+
+    for i in range(ncmds):
+        load_command_header = f.read(8)
+        cmd, cmdsize = struct.unpack("=2I", load_command_header)
+        load_command_body = f.read(cmdsize - 8)
+        if cmd == 0xD:  # LC_ID_DYLIB
+            name_offset, timestamp, current_version, compatbility_version = (
+                struct.unpack_from("=4I", load_command_body)
+            )
+            bufsize = cmdsize - 24
+            if name_offset != 24 or bufsize <= 0:
+                raise RuntimeError("Malformed load command")
+            install_name = load_command_body[16:].rstrip(b"\0")
+            new_install_name, replacements = re.subn(b"/(\./)+", b"/", install_name)
+            if replacements > 0:
+                print(f"Rewriting install_name to {new_install_name}")
+                f.seek(-bufsize, 1)
+                f.write(new_install_name.ljust(bufsize, b"\0"))
+
+    if f.tell() != loadstart + sizeofcmds:
+        raise RuntimeError("Unexpected end of load commands, is file corrupt?")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    with open(sys.argv[1], "r+b") as f:
+        rewrite(f)