diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 917e66d192..baafc5c459 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -258,10 +258,14 @@ if(WITH_ROCKSDB)
     set(ROCKSDB_LIBRARIES "IFCOPENSHELL_RocksDB")
     target_compile_definitions(IFCOPENSHELL_RocksDB INTERFACE IFOPSH_WITH_ROCKSDB)
     set(SWIG_DEFINES ${SWIG_DEFINES} -DIFOPSH_WITH_ROCKSDB)
-    # Shared binaries for `rocksdb` only support limited API (only `c.h`), but we use `db.h` API.
-    # So rocksdb supported only as a static library.
     # See https://github.com/facebook/rocksdb/issues/981.
-    target_link_libraries(IFCOPENSHELL_RocksDB INTERFACE RocksDB::rocksdb)
+    if(TARGET RocksDB::rocksdb)
+        target_link_libraries(IFCOPENSHELL_RocksDB INTERFACE RocksDB::rocksdb)
+    elseif(TARGET RocksDB::rocksdb-shared)
+        target_link_libraries(IFCOPENSHELL_RocksDB INTERFACE RocksDB::rocksdb-shared)
+    else()
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "RocksDB found but neither RocksDB::rocksdb nor RocksDB::rocksdb-shared target exists")
+    endif()
 
     if(WITH_ZSTD)
         # @todo do we actually need the zstd include dir or rather just pass
diff --git a/src/ifcparse/IfcFile.cpp b/src/ifcparse/IfcFile.cpp
index 9e26b24442..06521d5565 100644
--- a/src/ifcparse/IfcFile.cpp
+++ b/src/ifcparse/IfcFile.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <fstream>
+#include <memory>
+#include <utility>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
@@ -410,6 +412,26 @@ IfcUtil::IfcBaseClass* IfcParse::impl::rocks_db_file_storage::assert_existance(s
 }
 
 namespace {
+#ifdef IFOPSH_WITH_ROCKSDB
+    // Newer RocksDB releases (e.g. the one shipped by Fedora rawhide) changed
+    // DB::Open / DB::OpenForReadOnly to take a std::unique_ptr<DB>* and removed
+    // the raw DB** overloads. These helpers select whichever signature the
+    // installed RocksDB exposes, so the code builds against both old and new
+    // headers. The int/long tag prefers the unique_ptr form when both exist.
+    template <typename Fn>
+    auto rocksdb_open(Fn&& open, rocksdb::DB*& db, int)
+        -> decltype(open(std::declval<std::unique_ptr<rocksdb::DB>*>())) {
+        std::unique_ptr<rocksdb::DB> owned;
+        auto status = open(&owned);
+        db = owned.release();
+        return status;
+    }
+    template <typename Fn>
+    auto rocksdb_open(Fn&& open, rocksdb::DB*& db, long)
+        -> decltype(open(std::declval<rocksdb::DB**>())) {
+        return open(&db);
+    }
+#endif
     rocksdb::DB* init_db(const std::string& filepath, bool readonly) {
         rocksdb::DB* db = nullptr;
 #ifdef IFOPSH_WITH_ROCKSDB
@@ -446,9 +468,13 @@ namespace {
 
         rocksdb::Status status;
         if (readonly) {
-            status = rocksdb::DB::OpenForReadOnly(options, filepath, &db);
+            status = rocksdb_open([&](auto* dbptr) -> decltype(rocksdb::DB::OpenForReadOnly(options, filepath, dbptr)) {
+                return rocksdb::DB::OpenForReadOnly(options, filepath, dbptr);
+            }, db, 0);
         } else {
-            status = rocksdb::DB::Open(options, filepath, &db);
+            status = rocksdb_open([&](auto* dbptr) -> decltype(rocksdb::DB::Open(options, filepath, dbptr)) {
+                return rocksdb::DB::Open(options, filepath, dbptr);
+            }, db, 0);
         }
         if (!status.ok()) {
             return nullptr;