diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows.yml b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
index d69488f3a9..1e1e13770c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows.yml
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ jobs:
         python3.exe -m pip install --upgrade cmake
         python3.exe -m pip install --upgrade numpy
 
-        python3.exe -m pip wheel .
+        python3.exe -m pip wheel -v .
         if(!$?) { Exit $LASTEXITCODE }
-        python3.exe -m pip install openPMD_api-0.16.0-cp39-cp39-win_amd64.whl
+        python3.exe -m pip install -v openPMD_api-0.16.0-cp39-cp39-win_amd64.whl
         if(!$?) { Exit $LASTEXITCODE }
 
         python3.exe -c "import openpmd_api as api; print(api.variants)"
diff --git a/cmake/dependencies/pybind11.cmake b/cmake/dependencies/pybind11.cmake
index 6719a38c37..70899de816 100644
--- a/cmake/dependencies/pybind11.cmake
+++ b/cmake/dependencies/pybind11.cmake
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ function(find_pybind11)
             message(STATUS "pybind11 repository: ${openPMD_pybind11_repo} (${openPMD_pybind11_branch})")
         endif()
     endif()
+
+    # rely on our find_package(Python ...) call
+    # https://pybind11.readthedocs.io/en/stable/compiling.html#modules-with-cmake
+    set(PYBIND11_FINDPYTHON ON)
+
     if(TARGET pybind11::module)
         # nothing to do, target already exists in the superbuild
     elseif(openPMD_USE_INTERNAL_PYBIND11 AND openPMD_pybind11_src)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4ecbfc5c68..7508d085ee 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -45,11 +45,14 @@ def build_extension(self, ext):
             extdir += os.path.sep
 
         cmake_args = [
+            # Python: use the calling interpreter in CMake
+            # https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/module/FindPython.html#hints
+            '-DPython_ROOT_DIR=' + sys.prefix,
+            '-DPython_FIND_STRATEGY=LOCATION",
             '-DCMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY=' +
             os.path.join(extdir, "openpmd_api"),
             # '-DCMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY=' + extdir,
             '-DopenPMD_PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY=' + extdir,
-            '-DPython_EXECUTABLE=' + sys.executable,
             '-DopenPMD_USE_PYTHON:BOOL=ON',
             # variants
             '-DopenPMD_USE_MPI:BOOL=' + openPMD_USE_MPI,