diff --git a/purego_unix.go b/purego_unix.go
index 70a4593..8ba87de 100644
--- a/purego_unix.go
+++ b/purego_unix.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ebitengine/purego"
 )
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 func loadLibrary(name string) (uintptr, error) {
-	if runtime.GOOS == "linux" && !isDynamicBinary() {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "linux" && !canDlopen() {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("not a dynamic binary")
 	}
 
@@ -29,23 +30,44 @@ func loadLibrary(name string) (uintptr, error) {
 	return handle, nil
 }
 
-func isDynamicBinary() bool {
+// canDlopen reports whether dlopen is safe to call from this binary.
+// Dynamic binaries can always dlopen. Static binaries can only dlopen
+// safely if they were linked against musl libc, which has a fully
+// functional dlopen implementation even in static executables.
+// On glibc, dlopen from static binaries is not supported and may crash.
+func canDlopen() bool {
 	fileName, err := os.Executable()
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return false
 	}
 
 	fl, err := elf.Open(fileName)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return false
 	}
-
 	defer fl.Close()
 
-	_, err = fl.DynamicSymbols()
-	if err == nil {
+	// Dynamic binaries can always dlopen
+	if _, err := fl.DynamicSymbols(); err == nil {
 		return true
 	}
 
+	// Static binary — check if it was linked with musl by reading the
+	// ELF .comment section, which contains the compiler/linker identification.
+	// Musl-linked binaries typically have no .comment or have "GCC" without
+	// glibc markers. More reliably, we look for "musl" in the ELF interpreter
+	// (PT_INTERP program header), which musl's linker sets even for static-pie.
+	for _, prog := range fl.Progs {
+		if prog.Type == elf.PT_INTERP {
+			interp := make([]byte, prog.Filesz)
+			if _, err := prog.ReadAt(interp, 0); err == nil {
+				if strings.Contains(string(interp), "musl") {
+					return true
+				}
+			}
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
 	return false
 }