diff --git a/pkgs/development/python-modules/lightgbm/default.nix b/pkgs/development/python-modules/lightgbm/default.nix
index 5409d1662452..57e90a429249 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/python-modules/lightgbm/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/python-modules/lightgbm/default.nix
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
   # buildInputs
   llvmPackages,
-  boost,
+  boost187,
   ocl-icd,
   opencl-headers,
 
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@
 assert gpuSupport -> !cudaSupport;
 assert cudaSupport -> !gpuSupport;
 
-buildPythonPackage rec {
+let
+  effectiveStdenv = if cudaSupport then cudaPackages.backendStdenv else stdenv;
+in
+buildPythonPackage.override { stdenv = effectiveStdenv; } (finalAttrs: {
   inherit (pkgs.lightgbm)
     pname
     version
@@ -51,22 +54,10 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   pyproject = true;
 
   src = fetchPypi {
-    inherit pname version;
+    inherit (finalAttrs) pname version;
     hash = "sha256-yxxZcg61aTicC6dNFPUjUbVzr0ifIwAyocnzFPi6t/4=";
   };
 
-  # Patch dll search path to fix proper discovery of lib_lightgbm.so
-  #   Exception: Cannot find lightgbm library file in following paths:
-  # /nix/store/...-python3.13-lightgbm-4.6.0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/lib_lightgbm.so
-  # /nix/store/...-python3.13-lightgbm-4.6.0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/lightgbm/bin/lib_lightgbm.so
-  # /nix/store/...-python3.13-lightgbm-4.6.0/lib/python3.13/site-packages/lightgbm/lib/lib_lightgbm.so
-  postPatch = ''
-    substituteInPlace lightgbm/libpath.py \
-      --replace-fail \
-        'curr_path.parents[0] / "lib",' \
-        'curr_path.parents[1] / "lib",'
-  '';
-
   build-system = [
     scikit-build-core
   ];
@@ -85,7 +76,7 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   buildInputs =
     (lib.optionals stdenv.cc.isClang [ llvmPackages.openmp ])
     ++ (lib.optionals gpuSupport [
-      boost
+      boost187
       ocl-icd
       opencl-headers
     ])
@@ -102,6 +93,13 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   cmakeFlags = [
     (lib.cmakeBool "USE_GPU" gpuSupport)
     (lib.cmakeBool "USE_CUDA" cudaSupport)
+    # Set in pyproject.toml for `cmake.args` in `[tool.scikit-build]`,
+    # but not set by our hooks.
+    (lib.cmakeBool "__BUILD_FOR_PYTHON" true)
+  ]
+  ++ lib.optionals cudaSupport [
+    # build fails otherwise
+    (lib.cmakeFeature "CMAKE_CUDA_STANDARD" "14")
   ];
 
   optional-dependencies = {
@@ -128,8 +126,11 @@ buildPythonPackage rec {
   meta = {
     description = "Fast, distributed, high performance gradient boosting (GBDT, GBRT, GBM or MART) framework";
     homepage = "https://github.com/lightgbm-org/LightGBM";
-    changelog = "https://github.com/lightgbm-org/LightGBM/releases/tag/v${version}";
+    changelog = "https://github.com/lightgbm-org/LightGBM/releases/tag/v${finalAttrs.version}";
     license = lib.licenses.mit;
-    maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ teh ];
+    maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [
+      flokli
+      teh
+    ];
   };
-}
+})