diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 0240af5621a..ef57c42ae4e 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "cargo-credential-libsecret"
-version = "0.4.15"
+version = "0.5.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "cargo-credential",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index da3d6bf9a04..489905638f3 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ blake3 = "1.5.5"
 build-rs = { version = "0.3.1", path = "crates/build-rs" }
 cargo = { path = "" }
 cargo-credential = { version = "0.4.2", path = "credential/cargo-credential" }
-cargo-credential-libsecret = { version = "0.4.15", path = "credential/cargo-credential-libsecret" }
+cargo-credential-libsecret = { version = "0.5.0", path = "credential/cargo-credential-libsecret" }
 cargo-credential-macos-keychain = { version = "0.4.15", path = "credential/cargo-credential-macos-keychain" }
 cargo-credential-wincred = { version = "0.4.15", path = "credential/cargo-credential-wincred" }
 cargo-platform = { path = "crates/cargo-platform", version = "0.3.0" }
diff --git a/credential/cargo-credential-libsecret/Cargo.toml b/credential/cargo-credential-libsecret/Cargo.toml
index 53cd0ea60f4..a691996db6d 100644
--- a/credential/cargo-credential-libsecret/Cargo.toml
+++ b/credential/cargo-credential-libsecret/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "cargo-credential-libsecret"
-version = "0.4.15"
+version = "0.5.0"
 rust-version = "1.87"  # MSRV:1
 edition.workspace = true
 license.workspace = true
diff --git a/credential/cargo-credential-libsecret/src/lib.rs b/credential/cargo-credential-libsecret/src/lib.rs
index 0d10fb83689..684f0f8da37 100644
--- a/credential/cargo-credential-libsecret/src/lib.rs
+++ b/credential/cargo-credential-libsecret/src/lib.rs
@@ -83,7 +83,9 @@ mod linux {
         ...
     ) -> *mut gchar;
 
-    pub struct LibSecretCredential;
+    pub struct LibSecretCredential {
+        libsecret: Library,
+    }
 
     fn label(index_url: &str) -> CString {
         CString::new(format!("cargo-registry:{}", index_url)).unwrap()
@@ -105,31 +107,41 @@ mod linux {
         }
     }
 
-    impl Credential for LibSecretCredential {
+    impl LibSecretCredential {
+        pub fn new() -> Result<LibSecretCredential, Error> {
+            // Dynamically load libsecret to avoid users needing to install
+            // additional -dev packages when building this provider.
+            let libsecret = unsafe { Library::new("libsecret-1.so.0") }.context(
+                "failed to load libsecret: try installing the `libsecret` \
+                or `libsecret-1-0` package with the system package manager",
+            )?;
+            Ok(Self { libsecret })
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl Credential for &LibSecretCredential {
         fn perform(
             &self,
             registry: &RegistryInfo<'_>,
             action: &Action<'_>,
             _args: &[&str],
         ) -> Result<CredentialResponse, Error> {
-            // Dynamically load libsecret to avoid users needing to install
-            // additional -dev packages when building this provider.
-            let lib;
             let secret_password_lookup_sync: Symbol<'_, SecretPasswordLookupSync>;
             let secret_password_store_sync: Symbol<'_, SecretPasswordStoreSync>;
             let secret_password_clear_sync: Symbol<'_, SecretPasswordClearSync>;
             unsafe {
-                lib = Library::new("libsecret-1.so.0").context(
-                    "failed to load libsecret: try installing the `libsecret` \
-                    or `libsecret-1-0` package with the system package manager",
-                )?;
-                secret_password_lookup_sync = lib
+                secret_password_lookup_sync = self
+                    .libsecret
                     .get(b"secret_password_lookup_sync\0")
                     .map_err(Box::new)?;
-                secret_password_store_sync =
-                    lib.get(b"secret_password_store_sync\0").map_err(Box::new)?;
-                secret_password_clear_sync =
-                    lib.get(b"secret_password_clear_sync\0").map_err(Box::new)?;
+                secret_password_store_sync = self
+                    .libsecret
+                    .get(b"secret_password_store_sync\0")
+                    .map_err(Box::new)?;
+                secret_password_clear_sync = self
+                    .libsecret
+                    .get(b"secret_password_clear_sync\0")
+                    .map_err(Box::new)?;
             }
 
             let index_url_c = CString::new(registry.index_url).unwrap();
diff --git a/src/cargo/util/auth/mod.rs b/src/cargo/util/auth/mod.rs
index 2dc66f56241..0ce9d414084 100644
--- a/src/cargo/util/auth/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/util/auth/mod.rs
@@ -508,6 +508,27 @@ static BUILT_IN_PROVIDERS: &[&'static str] = &[
     "cargo:libsecret",
 ];
 
+/// Retrieves a cached instance of `LibSecretCredential`.
+/// Must be cached to avoid repeated load/unload cycles, which are not supported by `glib`.
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn get_credential_libsecret(
+) -> CargoResult<&'static cargo_credential_libsecret::LibSecretCredential> {
+    static CARGO_CREDENTIAL_LIBSECRET: std::sync::OnceLock<
+        cargo_credential_libsecret::LibSecretCredential,
+    > = std::sync::OnceLock::new();
+    // Unfortunately `get_or_try_init` is not yet stable. This workaround is not threadsafe but
+    // loading libsecret twice will only temporary increment the ref counter, which is decrement
+    // again when `drop` is called.
+    match CARGO_CREDENTIAL_LIBSECRET.get() {
+        Some(lib) => Ok(lib),
+        None => {
+            let _ = CARGO_CREDENTIAL_LIBSECRET
+                .set(cargo_credential_libsecret::LibSecretCredential::new()?);
+            Ok(CARGO_CREDENTIAL_LIBSECRET.get().unwrap())
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn credential_action(
     gctx: &GlobalContext,
     sid: &SourceId,
@@ -545,7 +566,7 @@ fn credential_action(
             #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
             "cargo:macos-keychain" => Box::new(cargo_credential_macos_keychain::MacKeychain {}),
             #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
-            "cargo:libsecret" => Box::new(cargo_credential_libsecret::LibSecretCredential {}),
+            "cargo:libsecret" => Box::new(get_credential_libsecret()?),
             name if BUILT_IN_PROVIDERS.contains(&name) => {
                 Box::new(cargo_credential::UnsupportedCredential {})
             }