diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/meson.build b/src/py/libcamera/meson.build
index f87b1b4d..b38a57d7 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/meson.build
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/meson.build
@@ -7,10 +7,14 @@ if not py3_dep.found()
     subdir_done()
 endif
 
-pycamera_enabled = true
+pybind11_dep = dependency('pybind11', required : get_option('pycamera'))
+
+if not pybind11_dep.found()
+    pycamera_enabled = false
+    subdir_done()
+endif
 
-pybind11_proj = subproject('pybind11')
-pybind11_dep = pybind11_proj.get_variable('pybind11_dep')
+pycamera_enabled = true
 
 pycamera_sources = files([
     'py_camera_manager.cpp',
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_camera_manager.h b/src/py/libcamera/py_camera_manager.h
index 3525057d..3574db23 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_camera_manager.h
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_camera_manager.h
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/libcamera.h>
 
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 
 using namespace libcamera;
 
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_color_space.cpp b/src/py/libcamera/py_color_space.cpp
index a8301e3d..5201121a 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_color_space.cpp
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_color_space.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/libcamera.h>
 
 #include <pybind11/operators.h>
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 #include <pybind11/stl.h>
 
 namespace py = pybind11;
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_controls_generated.cpp.in b/src/py/libcamera/py_controls_generated.cpp.in
index cb8442ba..18fa57d9 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_controls_generated.cpp.in
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_controls_generated.cpp.in
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/control_ids.h>
 
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 
 namespace py = pybind11;
 
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_enums.cpp b/src/py/libcamera/py_enums.cpp
index 96d4beef..803c4e7e 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_enums.cpp
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_enums.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/libcamera.h>
 
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 
 namespace py = pybind11;
 
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_formats_generated.cpp.in b/src/py/libcamera/py_formats_generated.cpp.in
index b88807f3..a3f7f94d 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_formats_generated.cpp.in
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_formats_generated.cpp.in
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/formats.h>
 
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 
 namespace py = pybind11;
 
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_geometry.cpp b/src/py/libcamera/py_geometry.cpp
index 84b0cb08..5c2aeac4 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_geometry.cpp
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_geometry.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/libcamera.h>
 
 #include <pybind11/operators.h>
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 #include <pybind11/stl.h>
 
 namespace py = pybind11;
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_helpers.h b/src/py/libcamera/py_helpers.h
index cd31e2cc..983969df 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_helpers.h
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_helpers.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/libcamera.h>
 
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 
 pybind11::object controlValueToPy(const libcamera::ControlValue &cv);
 libcamera::ControlValue pyToControlValue(const pybind11::object &ob, libcamera::ControlType type);
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_main.cpp b/src/py/libcamera/py_main.cpp
index c66b90cd..c41c43d6 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_main.cpp
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_main.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/libcamera.h>
 
 #include <pybind11/functional.h>
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 #include <pybind11/stl.h>
 #include <pybind11/stl_bind.h>
 
@@ -34,6 +34,51 @@ LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Python)
 
 }
 
+/*
+ * This is a holder class used only for the Camera class, for the sole purpose
+ * of avoiding the compilation issue with Camera's private destructor.
+ *
+ * pybind11 requires a public destructor for classes held with shared_ptrs, even
+ * in cases where the public destructor is not strictly needed. The current
+ * understanding is that there are the following options to solve the problem:
+ *
+ * - Use pybind11 'smart_holder' branch. The downside is that 'smart_holder'
+ *   is not the mainline branch, and not available in distributions.
+ * - https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/2067
+ * - Make the Camera destructor public
+ * - Something like the PyCameraSmartPtr here, which adds a layer, hiding the
+ *   issue.
+ */
+template<typename T>
+class PyCameraSmartPtr
+{
+public:
+	using element_type = T;
+
+	PyCameraSmartPtr()
+	{
+	}
+
+	explicit PyCameraSmartPtr(T *)
+	{
+		throw std::runtime_error("invalid SmartPtr constructor call");
+	}
+
+	explicit PyCameraSmartPtr(std::shared_ptr<T> p)
+		: ptr_(p)
+	{
+	}
+
+	T *get() const { return ptr_.get(); }
+
+	operator std::shared_ptr<T>() const { return ptr_; }
+
+private:
+	std::shared_ptr<T> ptr_;
+};
+
+PYBIND11_DECLARE_HOLDER_TYPE(T, PyCameraSmartPtr<T>);
+
 /*
  * Note: global C++ destructors can be ran on this before the py module is
  * destructed.
@@ -65,8 +110,8 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_libcamera, m)
 	 * https://pybind11.readthedocs.io/en/latest/advanced/misc.html#avoiding-c-types-in-docstrings
 	 */
 
-	auto pyCameraManager = py::class_<PyCameraManager>(m, "CameraManager");
-	auto pyCamera = py::class_<Camera>(m, "Camera");
+	auto pyCameraManager = py::class_<PyCameraManager, std::shared_ptr<PyCameraManager>>(m, "CameraManager");
+	auto pyCamera = py::class_<Camera, PyCameraSmartPtr<Camera>>(m, "Camera");
 	auto pyCameraConfiguration = py::class_<CameraConfiguration>(m, "CameraConfiguration");
 	auto pyCameraConfigurationStatus = py::enum_<CameraConfiguration::Status>(pyCameraConfiguration, "Status");
 	auto pyStreamConfiguration = py::class_<StreamConfiguration>(m, "StreamConfiguration");
@@ -271,7 +316,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_libcamera, m)
 		.def("range", &StreamFormats::range);
 
 	pyFrameBufferAllocator
-		.def(py::init<std::shared_ptr<Camera>>(), py::keep_alive<1, 2>())
+		.def(py::init<PyCameraSmartPtr<Camera>>(), py::keep_alive<1, 2>())
 		.def("allocate", [](FrameBufferAllocator &self, Stream *stream) {
 			int ret = self.allocate(stream);
 			if (ret < 0)
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_properties_generated.cpp.in b/src/py/libcamera/py_properties_generated.cpp.in
index 044b2b2a..e49b6e91 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_properties_generated.cpp.in
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_properties_generated.cpp.in
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/property_ids.h>
 
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 
 namespace py = pybind11;
 
diff --git a/src/py/libcamera/py_transform.cpp b/src/py/libcamera/py_transform.cpp
index 08783e29..f3a0bfaf 100644
--- a/src/py/libcamera/py_transform.cpp
+++ b/src/py/libcamera/py_transform.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/libcamera.h>
 
 #include <pybind11/operators.h>
-#include <pybind11/smart_holder.h>
+#include <pybind11/pybind11.h>
 #include <pybind11/stl.h>
 
 namespace py = pybind11;
diff --git a/subprojects/.gitignore b/subprojects/.gitignore
index 0a8fd3a6..ebe59479 100644
--- a/subprojects/.gitignore
+++ b/subprojects/.gitignore
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
 /libyaml
 /libyuv
 /packagecache
-/pybind11
+/pybind11-*
diff --git a/subprojects/pybind11.wrap b/subprojects/pybind11.wrap
deleted file mode 100644
index dd02687b..00000000
--- a/subprojects/pybind11.wrap
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
-
-[wrap-git]
-url = https://github.com/pybind/pybind11.git
-# This is the head of 'smart_holder' branch
-revision = aebdf00cd060b871c5a1e0c2cf4a333503dd0431
-depth = 1
-patch_directory = pybind11
-
-[provide]
-pybind11 = pybind11_dep