diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/pybind11.cmake b/cmake/dependencies/pybind11.cmake
index 19d31da31c..1d056e7775 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies/pybind11.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/pybind11.cmake
@@ -16,15 +16,11 @@ function(find_pybind11)
             message(STATUS "pybind11 repository: ${openPMD_pybind11_repo} (${openPMD_pybind11_branch})")
         endif()
     endif()
-
-    # Propagate Python to pybind11 in superbuilds
-    if(openPMD_USE_INTERNAL_PYBIND11)
-        # we found Python via find_package(Python ...) below, but pybind11 has some
-        # additional internal logic in FindPythonLibsNew.cmake can mix things up
-        # https://github.com/openPMD/openPMD-api/pull/1677#issuecomment-2407743771
-        set(PYTHON_EXECUTABLE ${Python_EXECUTABLE})
-    endif()
-
+    
+    # rely on our find_package(Python ...) call
+    # https://pybind11.readthedocs.io/en/stable/compiling.html#modules-with-cmake
+    set(PYBIND11_FINDPYTHON ON)
+    
     if(TARGET pybind11::module)
         # nothing to do, target already exists in the superbuild
     elseif(openPMD_USE_INTERNAL_PYBIND11 AND openPMD_pybind11_src)