diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 34b504f10d..d9352fedd8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ on:
       unix:
         default: true
         type: boolean
+      linux_static:
+        default: true
+        type: boolean
       linux_arm:
         default: true
         type: boolean
@@ -27,9 +30,6 @@ on:
       windows32:
         default: true
         type: boolean
-      meta_files:
-        default: true
-        type: boolean
       origin:
         required: false
         default: ''
@@ -52,7 +52,11 @@ on:
         default: stable
         type: string
       unix:
-        description: yt-dlp, yt-dlp.tar.gz, yt-dlp_linux, yt-dlp_linux.zip
+        description: yt-dlp, yt-dlp.tar.gz
+        default: true
+        type: boolean
+      linux_static:
+        description: yt-dlp_linux
         default: true
         type: boolean
       linux_arm:
@@ -75,10 +79,6 @@ on:
         description: yt-dlp_x86.exe
         default: true
         type: boolean
-      meta_files:
-        description: SHA2-256SUMS, SHA2-512SUMS, _update_spec
-        default: true
-        type: boolean
       origin:
         description: Origin
         required: false
@@ -112,27 +112,9 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.10"
-      - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
-        with:
-          miniforge-variant: Mambaforge
-          use-mamba: true
-          channels: conda-forge
-          auto-update-conda: true
-          activate-environment: ""
-          auto-activate-base: false
       - name: Install Requirements
         run: |
           sudo apt -y install zip pandoc man sed
-          cat > ./requirements.txt << EOF
-          python=3.10.*
-          pyinstaller
-          brotli-python
-          EOF
-          python devscripts/install_deps.py --print \
-            --exclude brotli --exclude brotlicffi \
-            --include secretstorage >> ./requirements.txt
-          mamba create -n build --file ./requirements.txt
-
       - name: Prepare
         run: |
           python devscripts/update-version.py -c "${{ inputs.channel }}" -r "${{ needs.process.outputs.origin }}" "${{ inputs.version }}"
@@ -141,30 +123,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build Unix platform-independent binary
         run: |
           make all tar
-      - name: Build Unix standalone binary
-        shell: bash -l {0}
-        run: |
-          unset LD_LIBRARY_PATH  # Harmful; set by setup-python
-          conda activate build
-          python -m bundle.pyinstaller --onedir
-          (cd ./dist/yt-dlp_linux && zip -r ../yt-dlp_linux.zip .)
-          python -m bundle.pyinstaller
-          mv ./dist/yt-dlp_linux ./yt-dlp_linux
-          mv ./dist/yt-dlp_linux.zip ./yt-dlp_linux.zip
-
       - name: Verify --update-to
         if: vars.UPDATE_TO_VERIFICATION
         run: |
-          binaries=("yt-dlp" "yt-dlp_linux")
-          for binary in "${binaries[@]}"; do
-            chmod +x ./${binary}
-            cp ./${binary} ./${binary}_downgraded
-            version="$(./${binary} --version)"
-            ./${binary}_downgraded -v --update-to yt-dlp/yt-dlp@2023.03.04
-            downgraded_version="$(./${binary}_downgraded --version)"
-            [[ "$version" != "$downgraded_version" ]]
-          done
-
+          chmod +x ./yt-dlp
+          cp ./yt-dlp ./yt-dlp_downgraded
+          version="$(./yt-dlp --version)"
+          ./yt-dlp_downgraded -v --update-to yt-dlp/yt-dlp@2023.03.04
+          downgraded_version="$(./yt-dlp_downgraded --version)"
+          [[ "$version" != "$downgraded_version" ]]
       - name: Upload artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
@@ -172,8 +139,39 @@ jobs:
           path: |
             yt-dlp
             yt-dlp.tar.gz
-            yt-dlp_linux
-            yt-dlp_linux.zip
+          compression-level: 0
+
+  linux_static:
+    needs: process
+    if: inputs.linux_static
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Build static executable
+        env:
+          channel: ${{ inputs.channel }}
+          origin: ${{ needs.process.outputs.origin }}
+          version: ${{ inputs.version }}
+        run: |
+          mkdir ~/build
+          cd bundle/docker
+          docker compose up --build static
+          sudo chown "${USER}:docker" ~/build/yt-dlp_linux
+      - name: Verify --update-to
+        if: vars.UPDATE_TO_VERIFICATION
+        run: |
+          chmod +x ~/build/yt-dlp_linux
+          cp ~/build/yt-dlp_linux ~/build/yt-dlp_linux_downgraded
+          version="$(~/build/yt-dlp_linux --version)"
+          ~/build/yt-dlp_linux_downgraded -v --update-to yt-dlp/yt-dlp@2023.03.04
+          downgraded_version="$(~/build/yt-dlp_linux_downgraded --version)"
+          [[ "$version" != "$downgraded_version" ]]
+      - name: Upload artifacts
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: build-bin-${{ github.job }}
+          path: |
+            ~/build/yt-dlp_linux
           compression-level: 0
 
   linux_arm:
@@ -447,10 +445,11 @@ jobs:
           compression-level: 0
 
   meta_files:
-    if: inputs.meta_files && always() && !cancelled()
+    if: always() && !cancelled()
     needs:
       - process
       - unix
+      - linux_static
       - linux_arm
       - macos
       - macos_legacy
diff --git a/bundle/docker/compose.yml b/bundle/docker/compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f89ca6d09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/docker/compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+services:
+  static:
+    build: static
+    environment:
+      channel: ${channel}
+      origin: ${origin}
+      version: ${version}
+    volumes:
+      - ~/build:/build
+      - ../..:/yt-dlp
diff --git a/bundle/docker/static/Dockerfile b/bundle/docker/static/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dae2dff3d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/docker/static/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+FROM alpine:3.19 as base
+
+RUN apk --update add --no-cache \
+        build-base \
+        python3 \
+        pipx \
+    ;
+
+RUN pipx install pyinstaller
+# Requires above step to prepare the shared venv
+RUN ~/.local/share/pipx/shared/bin/python -m pip install -U wheel
+RUN apk --update add --no-cache \
+        scons \
+        patchelf \
+        binutils \
+    ;
+RUN pipx install staticx
+
+WORKDIR /yt-dlp
+COPY entrypoint.sh /entrypoint.sh
+ENTRYPOINT /entrypoint.sh
diff --git a/bundle/docker/static/entrypoint.sh b/bundle/docker/static/entrypoint.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..93d84fa9b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/docker/static/entrypoint.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/ash
+set -e
+
+source ~/.local/share/pipx/venvs/pyinstaller/bin/activate
+python -m devscripts.install_deps --include secretstorage
+python -m devscripts.make_lazy_extractors
+python devscripts/update-version.py -c "${channel}" -r "${origin}" "${version}"
+python -m bundle.pyinstaller
+deactivate
+
+source ~/.local/share/pipx/venvs/staticx/bin/activate
+staticx /yt-dlp/dist/yt-dlp_linux /build/yt-dlp_linux
+deactivate
diff --git a/yt_dlp/update.py b/yt_dlp/update.py
index f47cbc5b29..ca70f69a7e 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/update.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/update.py
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ def _get_variant_and_executable_path():
             # Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uname#Examples
             if machine[1:] in ('x86', 'x86_64', 'amd64', 'i386', 'i686'):
                 machine = '_x86' if platform.architecture()[0][:2] == '32' else ''
+            # sys.executable returns a /tmp/ path for staticx builds (linux_static)
+            # Ref: https://staticx.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage.html#run-time-information
+            if static_exe_path := os.getenv('STATICX_PROG_PATH'):
+                path = static_exe_path
         return f'{remove_end(sys.platform, "32")}{machine}_exe', path
 
     path = os.path.dirname(__file__)