diff --git a/.bazelignore b/.bazelignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..378eac2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.bazelignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+build
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2a7b42e..c2a37f0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 build
+/bazel-*
 tmp_build
+.*.swp
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ceb65a8..e142837 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,14 +1,11 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.11)
 project(pybind11_abseil LANGUAGES CXX)
 
-include(FetchContent)
 include(CTest)
 
 if(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
   set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 endif(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD)
-set(ABSL_PROPAGATE_CXX_STD ON)
-set(BUILD_TESTING OFF)
 set(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE TRUE)
 set(CMAKE_INTERPROCEDURAL_OPTIMIZATION FALSE)
 
@@ -16,17 +13,8 @@ if(CMAKE_VERSION VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.24)
   cmake_policy(SET CMP0135 NEW)
 endif()
 
-FetchContent_Declare(
-  abseil-cpp
-  URL https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp/archive/refs/tags/20230802.0.tar.gz
-  URL_HASH
-    SHA256=59d2976af9d6ecf001a81a35749a6e551a335b949d34918cfade07737b9d93c5)
-
-FetchContent_Declare(
-  pybind11
-  URL https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/archive/refs/heads/master.tar.gz)
-
-FetchContent_MakeAvailable(abseil-cpp pybind11)
+find_package(Python3 REQUIRED COMPONENTS Interpreter Development.Module)
+add_subdirectory(cmake/dependencies dependencies)
 
 set(TOP_LEVEL_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR})
 include_directories(${TOP_LEVEL_DIR} ${pybind11_INCLUDE_DIRS})
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb13e7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+include(FetchContent)
+set(BUILD_TESTING OFF)
+
+if(NOT TARGET absl::base)
+  set(ABSL_PROPAGATE_CXX_STD ON)
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    absl
+    URL https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp/archive/refs/tags/20230802.0.tar.gz
+    URL_HASH
+    SHA256=59d2976af9d6ecf001a81a35749a6e551a335b949d34918cfade07737b9d93c5)
+  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(absl)
+endif()
+
+if(NOT TARGET pybind11::pybind11_headers)
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    pybind11
+    URL https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/archive/refs/heads/master.tar.gz)
+  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(pybind11)
+endif()
diff --git a/pybind11_abseil/BUILD b/pybind11_abseil/BUILD
index 791c245..33e614a 100644
--- a/pybind11_abseil/BUILD
+++ b/pybind11_abseil/BUILD
@@ -25,43 +25,39 @@ pybind_library(
     ],
 )
 
-cc_library(
+pybind_library(
     name = "ok_status_singleton_lib",
     srcs = ["ok_status_singleton_lib.cc"],
     hdrs = ["ok_status_singleton_lib.h"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
     deps = [
         "@com_google_absl//absl/status",
-        "@rules_python//python/cc:current_py_cc_headers",  # buildcleaner: keep
     ],
 )
 
-cc_library(
+pybind_library(
     name = "ok_status_singleton_pyinit_google3",
     srcs = ["ok_status_singleton_pyinit_google3.cc"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
     deps = [
         ":ok_status_singleton_lib",
-        "@rules_python//python/cc:current_py_cc_headers",  # buildcleaner: keep
     ],
 )
 
-cc_binary(
-    name = "ok_status_singleton.so",
+pybind_extension(
+    name = "ok_status_singleton",
     srcs = ["ok_status_singleton_py_extension_stub.cc"],
-    linkshared = 1,
     deps = [
         ":ok_status_singleton_pyinit_google3",
-        "@rules_python//python/cc:current_py_cc_headers",  # buildcleaner: keep
     ],
 )
 
-cc_library(
+pybind_library(
     name = "no_throw_status",
     hdrs = ["no_throw_status.h"],
 )
 
-cc_library(
+pybind_library(
     name = "status_not_ok_exception",
     hdrs = ["status_not_ok_exception.h"],
     deps = ["@com_google_absl//absl/status"],
@@ -104,7 +100,7 @@ pybind_library(
     ],
 )
 
-cc_library(
+pybind_library(
     name = "init_from_tag",
     hdrs = ["init_from_tag.h"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
@@ -149,13 +145,11 @@ pybind_library(
     ],
 )
 
-cc_binary(
-    name = "status.so",
+pybind_extension(
+    name = "status",
     srcs = ["status_py_extension_stub.cc"],
-    linkshared = 1,
     deps = [
         ":status_pyinit_google3",
-        "@rules_python//python/cc:current_py_cc_headers",  # buildcleaner: keep
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/pybind11_abseil/CMakeLists.txt b/pybind11_abseil/CMakeLists.txt
index d1b7483..74e3443 100644
--- a/pybind11_abseil/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pybind11_abseil/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -42,14 +42,19 @@ target_link_libraries(ok_status_singleton_pyinit_google3
 
 # ok_status_singleton =======================================================
 
-add_library(ok_status_singleton SHARED ok_status_singleton_py_extension_stub.cc)
+pybind11_add_module(ok_status_singleton MODULE ok_status_singleton_py_extension_stub.cc)
 add_library(pybind11_abseil::ok_status_singleton ALIAS ok_status_singleton)
 
+# note: macOS is APPLE and also UNIX !
+if(APPLE)
+  set_target_properties(ok_status_singleton PROPERTIES SUFFIX ".so")
+  set_property(TARGET ok_status_singleton APPEND PROPERTY
+    LINK_FLAGS "-flat_namespace -undefined suppress")
+endif()
+
 target_include_directories(ok_status_singleton
                            INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${TOP_LEVEL_DIR}>)
 
-set_target_properties(ok_status_singleton PROPERTIES PREFIX "")
-
 target_link_libraries(ok_status_singleton
                       PUBLIC ok_status_singleton_pyinit_google3)
 
@@ -150,14 +155,30 @@ target_link_libraries(status_pyinit_google3 PUBLIC register_status_bindings)
 
 # status ====================================================================
 
-add_library(status SHARED status_py_extension_stub.cc)
-add_library(pybind11_abseil::status ALIAS status)
+pybind11_add_module(status_py_extension_stub MODULE status_py_extension_stub.cc)
+
+set_target_properties(status_py_extension_stub PROPERTIES LIBRARY_OUTPUT_NAME "status")
+# note: macOS is APPLE and also UNIX !
+if(APPLE)
+  set_target_properties(status_py_extension_stub PROPERTIES
+    SUFFIX ".so"
+    INSTALL_RPATH "@loader_path;@loader_path/../ortools/.libs"
+  )
+  set_property(TARGET status_py_extension_stub APPEND PROPERTY
+    LINK_FLAGS "-flat_namespace -undefined suppress")
+elseif(UNIX)
+  set_target_properties(status_py_extension_stub PROPERTIES
+    INSTALL_RPATH "$ORIGIN:$ORIGIN/../ortools/.libs"
+    )
+endif()
 
-target_include_directories(status INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${TOP_LEVEL_DIR}>)
+add_library(pybind11_abseil::status ALIAS status_py_extension_stub)
 
-set_target_properties(status PROPERTIES PREFIX "")
+target_include_directories(status_py_extension_stub INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${TOP_LEVEL_DIR}>)
 
-target_link_libraries(status PUBLIC status_pyinit_google3 absl::status)
+set_target_properties(status_py_extension_stub PROPERTIES PREFIX "")
+
+target_link_libraries(status_py_extension_stub PUBLIC status_pyinit_google3 absl::status)
 
 # import_status_module =========================================================
 
@@ -167,7 +188,7 @@ add_library(pybind11_abseil::import_status_module ALIAS import_status_module)
 target_include_directories(import_status_module
                            INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${TOP_LEVEL_DIR}>)
 
-target_link_libraries(import_status_module PUBLIC status)
+add_dependencies(import_status_module status_py_extension_stub)
 
 # status_casters ===============================================================
 
@@ -175,25 +196,27 @@ add_library(status_casters INTERFACE)
 add_library(pybind11_abseil::status_casters ALIAS status_casters)
 
 target_include_directories(status_casters
-                           INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${TOP_LEVEL_DIR}>)
+  INTERFACE $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${TOP_LEVEL_DIR}>)
 
 target_link_libraries(status_casters INTERFACE import_status_module
-                                               status_caster statusor_caster)
+  status_caster statusor_caster)
 
-add_subdirectory(tests)
+if(BUILD_TESTING)
+  add_subdirectory(tests)
+endif()
 
 if(CMAKE_INSTALL_PYDIR)
   # Copying to two target directories for simplicity. It is currently unknown
   # how to determine here which copy is actually being used.
   install(
-    TARGETS status ok_status_singleton
+    TARGETS status_py_extension_stub ok_status_singleton
     EXPORT pybind11_abseilTargets
     LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PYDIR}/pybind11_abseil
     ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PYDIR}/pybind11_abseil
     RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PYDIR}/pybind11_abseil)
 
   install(
-    TARGETS status ok_status_singleton
+    TARGETS status_py_extension_stub ok_status_singleton
     EXPORT pybind11_abseil_cppTargets
     LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
     ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
diff --git a/pybind11_abseil/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/pybind11_abseil/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index a423c30..ae22a48 100644
--- a/pybind11_abseil/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pybind11_abseil/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # cpp_capsule_tools_testing ====================================================
 
-pybind11_add_module(cpp_capsule_tools_testing SHARED
+pybind11_add_module(cpp_capsule_tools_testing MODULE
                     cpp_capsule_tools_testing.cc)
 
 target_link_libraries(
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ add_test(
 
 # absl_example =================================================================
 
-pybind11_add_module(absl_example SHARED absl_example.cc)
+pybind11_add_module(absl_example MODULE absl_example.cc)
 
 target_link_libraries(
   absl_example
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ add_test(
 
 # missing_import ===============================================================
 
-pybind11_add_module(missing_import SHARED missing_import.cc)
+pybind11_add_module(missing_import MODULE missing_import.cc)
 
 target_compile_options(missing_import PUBLIC -UNDEBUG)
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ add_test(
 
 # status_example ===============================================================
 
-pybind11_add_module(status_example SHARED status_example.cc)
+pybind11_add_module(status_example MODULE status_example.cc)
 
 target_link_libraries(status_example PRIVATE status_casters absl::status
                                              absl::statusor)