diff --git a/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py b/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py
index aec92f3aee2472..1c822759eca912 100644
--- a/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py
@@ -458,6 +458,8 @@ def _load_library(self, name, mode, handle, winmode):
                 if name and name.endswith(")") and ".a(" in name:
                     mode |= _os.RTLD_MEMBER | _os.RTLD_NOW
             self._name = name
+            if handle is not None:
+                return handle
             return _dlopen(name, mode)
 
     def __repr__(self):
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_ctypes/test_loading.py b/Lib/test/test_ctypes/test_loading.py
index 3b8332fbb30928..343f6a07c0a32c 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_ctypes/test_loading.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_ctypes/test_loading.py
@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ def test_load_without_name_and_with_handle(self):
         lib = ctypes.WinDLL(name=None, handle=handle)
         self.assertIs(handle, lib._handle)
 
+    @unittest.skipIf(os.name == "nt", 'POSIX-specific test')
+    @unittest.skipIf(libc_name is None, 'could not find libc')
+    def test_load_without_name_and_with_handle_posix(self):
+        lib1 = CDLL(libc_name)
+        handle = lib1._handle
+        lib2 = CDLL(name=None, handle=handle)
+        self.assertIs(lib2._handle, handle)
+
     @unittest.skipUnless(os.name == "nt", 'Windows-specific test')
     def test_1703286_A(self):
         # On winXP 64-bit, advapi32 loads at an address that does
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-01-01-05-26-00.gh-issue-143304.Kv7x9Q.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-01-01-05-26-00.gh-issue-143304.Kv7x9Q.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..826b2e9a126d36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-01-01-05-26-00.gh-issue-143304.Kv7x9Q.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix :class:`ctypes.CDLL` to honor the ``handle`` parameter on POSIX systems.