diff --git a/.dep-versions b/.dep-versions
index bfb68fa985..222f447e36 100644
--- a/.dep-versions
+++ b/.dep-versions
@@ -12,4 +12,4 @@ pennylane=0.40.0-dev20
 
 # For a custom LQ/LK version, update the package version here and at
 # 'doc/requirements.txt'
-lightning=0.40.0-dev30
+lightning=0.40.0-dev41
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-wheel-macos-arm64.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-wheel-macos-arm64.yaml
index 2c2fa5c751..153b3b816c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-wheel-macos-arm64.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-wheel-macos-arm64.yaml
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Checkout Catalyst repo
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+    # Python 3.10 was dropped from the GH images on macOS arm
     - name: Install Python 3.10
       uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
@@ -235,8 +236,10 @@ jobs:
     - name: Checkout Catalyst repo
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+    # Python 3.10 was dropped from the GH images on macOS arm
     - name: Install Python 3.10
       uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      if: ${{ matrix.python_version }} == '3.10'
       with:
         python-version: '3.10'
 
@@ -418,10 +421,12 @@ jobs:
     - name: Checkout Catalyst repo
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-    - name: Install Python ${{ matrix.python_version }}
+    # Python 3.10 was dropped from the GH images on macOS arm
+    - name: Install Python 3.10
       uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      if: ${{ matrix.python_version }} == '3.10'
       with:
-        python-version: ${{ matrix.python_version }}
+        python-version: '3.10'
 
     - name: Download Wheel Artifact
       uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
@@ -453,7 +458,6 @@ jobs:
         python${{ matrix.python_version }} -m pip install PennyLane-Lightning-Kokkos
         python${{ matrix.python_version }} -m pip install 'amazon-braket-pennylane-plugin>1.27.1'
 
-
     - name: Install OQC client
       run: |
         python${{ matrix.python_version }} -m pip install oqc-qcaas-client
diff --git a/doc/requirements.txt b/doc/requirements.txt
index cb64331733..1ae7387ba4 100644
--- a/doc/requirements.txt
+++ b/doc/requirements.txt
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ lxml_html_clean
 
 # Pre-install PL development wheels
 --extra-index-url https://test.pypi.org/simple/
-pennylane-lightning-kokkos==0.40.0-dev30
-pennylane-lightning==0.40.0-dev30
+pennylane-lightning-kokkos==0.40.0-dev41
+pennylane-lightning==0.40.0-dev41
 pennylane==0.40.0-dev20
diff --git a/frontend/catalyst/compiler.py b/frontend/catalyst/compiler.py
index 38b704e980..45dc82afb8 100644
--- a/frontend/catalyst/compiler.py
+++ b/frontend/catalyst/compiler.py
@@ -121,25 +121,24 @@ def get_default_flags(options):
         path_within_package = "lib"
         file_extension = ".so" if platform.system() == "Linux" else ".dylib"  # pragma: no branch
 
-        package_spec = importlib.util.find_spec(package_name)
-        package_directory = path.dirname(package_spec.origin)
-        lapack_lib_path = path.join(package_directory, path_within_package)
-
-        search_pattern = path.join(lapack_lib_path, f"lib*{lib_name}*{file_extension}")
-        search_result = glob.glob(search_pattern)
-        if not search_result:  # pragma: nocover
-            raise CompileError(
-                f'Unable to find OpenBLAS library at "{search_pattern}". '
-                "Please ensure that scipy is installed and available via pip."
-            )
-
-        lib_path_flags += [f"-Wl,-rpath,{lapack_lib_path}", f"-L{lapack_lib_path}"]
-        lapack_lib_name = path.basename(search_result[0])[3 : -len(file_extension)]
-
-        lapack_libs = [lapack_lib_name]
         if platform.system() == "Darwin" and platform.machine() == "arm64":  # pragma: nocover
             # use our own build of LAPACKe to interface with Accelerate
-            lapack_libs += ["lapacke.3"]
+            lapack_lib_name = "lapacke.3"
+        else:
+            package_spec = importlib.util.find_spec(package_name)
+            package_directory = path.dirname(package_spec.origin)
+            lapack_lib_path = path.join(package_directory, path_within_package)
+
+            search_pattern = path.join(lapack_lib_path, f"lib*{lib_name}*{file_extension}")
+            search_result = glob.glob(search_pattern)
+            if not search_result:  # pragma: nocover
+                raise CompileError(
+                    f'Unable to find OpenBLAS library at "{search_pattern}". '
+                    "Please ensure that scipy is installed and available via pip."
+                )
+
+            lib_path_flags += [f"-Wl,-rpath,{lapack_lib_path}", f"-L{lapack_lib_path}"]
+            lapack_lib_name = path.basename(search_result[0])[3 : -len(file_extension)]
 
         system_flags = []
         if platform.system() == "Linux":
@@ -159,8 +158,6 @@ def get_default_flags(options):
         elif options.async_qnodes and platform.system() == "Darwin":  # pragma: nocover
             system_flags += ["-lc++"]
 
-        lapack_libs = [f"-l{name}" for name in lapack_libs]
-
         default_flags = [
             "-shared",
             "-rdynamic",
@@ -169,7 +166,7 @@ def get_default_flags(options):
             "-lrt_capi",
             "-lpthread",
             "-lmlir_c_runner_utils",  # required for memref.copy
-            *lapack_libs,
+            f"-l{lapack_lib_name}",  # required for custom_calls lib
             "-lcustom_calls",
             "-lmlir_async_runtime",
         ]