diff --git a/bindings/python/pyproject.toml b/bindings/python/pyproject.toml
index 714bac424a..a60a6cc127 100644
--- a/bindings/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/bindings/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -48,12 +48,13 @@ include = [
 module-name = "pyiceberg_core.pyiceberg_core_rust"
 profile = "release"
 python-source = "python"
-# Optimize for small binary size (https://github.com/apache/iceberg-rust/pull/1841)
+# Don't strip: depending on the binary's layout, a stripped macOS .so fails to import
+# with "mis-aligned LINKEDIT string pool" (https://github.com/apache/iceberg-rust/issues/3646).
 config = [
   "profile.release.lto=\"thin\"",
   "profile.release.codegen-units=1",
-  "profile.release.opt-level=\"z\"",
-  "profile.release.strip=true",
+  "profile.release.opt-level=3",
+  "profile.release.strip=false",
 ]
 
 [tool.ruff.lint]