diff --git a/buildhelp/cyclone_search.py b/buildhelp/cyclone_search.py
index 6ee34a0d..9ff8e92b 100644
--- a/buildhelp/cyclone_search.py
+++ b/buildhelp/cyclone_search.py
@@ -45,18 +45,22 @@ def good_directory(directory: Path):
     if not include_path.exists() or not bindir.exists():
         return
 
+    # Define the libraries directory based on where the CycloneDDS library
+    # has been installed. That is required because CMake overrides the libraries
+    # directory definition 'lib' with 'lib64' depending on the operating system.
     libdir = dir / 'lib'
-    if not libdir.exists():
-        libdir = dir / 'lib64'
-        if not libdir.exists():
-            return None
-
     if platform.system() == 'Windows':
         ddsc_library = bindir / "ddsc.dll"
     elif platform.system() == 'Darwin':
         ddsc_library = libdir / "libddsc.dylib"
     else:
         ddsc_library = libdir / "libddsc.so"
+        if not ddsc_library.exists():
+            libdir = dir / 'lib64'
+            ddsc_library = libdir / "libddsc.so"
+
+    if not libdir.exists():
+        return None
 
     if not ddsc_library.exists():
         return None
diff --git a/cyclonedds/internal.py b/cyclonedds/internal.py
index 1cad8424..f943a4af 100644
--- a/cyclonedds/internal.py
+++ b/cyclonedds/internal.py
@@ -53,10 +53,11 @@ def _loader_cyclonedds_home_gen(name):
         If CYCLONEDDS_HOME is set it is required to be valid and must be used to load.
     """
     def _loader_cyclonedds_home():
-        if "CYCLONEDDS_HOME" not in os.environ:
-            return None
-
-        return _load(os.path.join(os.environ["CYCLONEDDS_HOME"], name))
+        if "CYCLONEDDS_HOME" in os.environ:
+            path = os.path.join(os.environ["CYCLONEDDS_HOME"], name)
+            if os.path.exists(path):
+                return _load(path)
+        return None
     return _loader_cyclonedds_home
 
 
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ def _loader_install_path():
 _loaders_per_system = {
     "Linux": [
         _loader_wheel_gen(["..", "cyclonedds.libs"], ".so"),
+        _loader_cyclonedds_home_gen(f"lib64{os.sep}libddsc.so"),
         _loader_cyclonedds_home_gen(f"lib{os.sep}libddsc.so"),
         _loader_on_path_gen("libddsc.so"),
         _loader_install_path
diff --git a/tests/test_loader.py b/tests/test_loader.py
index 3ddfa723..7b61ec46 100644
--- a/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ def common_mocks(mocker: MockerFixture, platform: str, ext: str):
     mocker.patch("cyclonedds.internal._load", new=gen_test_loader(loadlist))
     mocker.patch("platform.system", new=lambda: platform)
     mocker.patch("os.environ", new={"CYCLONEDDS_HOME": "env_canary", "PATH": ""})
+    mocker.patch("os.path.exists", new_callable=mocker.PropertyMock, return_value=True)
     return loadlist
 
 
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ def test_loading_linux(mocker: MockerFixture):
         pass
 
     assert paths == [
+        f"env_canary{os.sep}lib64{os.sep}libddsc.so",
         f"env_canary{os.sep}lib{os.sep}libddsc.so",
         "libddsc.so",
         library_path