diff --git a/ci/build_wheel_python.sh b/ci/build_wheel_python.sh
index 22711fd04..555974b50 100755
--- a/ci/build_wheel_python.sh
+++ b/ci/build_wheel_python.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ source rapids-date-string
 
 rapids-generate-version > ./VERSION
 
-cd "${package_dir}"
+pushd "${package_dir}"
 
 RAPIDS_PY_CUDA_SUFFIX="$(rapids-wheel-ctk-name-gen ${RAPIDS_CUDA_VERSION})"
 CPP_WHEELHOUSE=$(RAPIDS_PY_WHEEL_NAME="rmm_${RAPIDS_PY_CUDA_SUFFIX}" rapids-download-wheels-from-s3 cpp /tmp/librmm_dist)
@@ -29,3 +29,7 @@ mkdir -p final_dist
 python -m auditwheel repair -w final_dist dist/*
 
 RAPIDS_PY_WHEEL_NAME="${package_name}_${RAPIDS_PY_CUDA_SUFFIX}" rapids-upload-wheels-to-s3 python final_dist
+
+# switch back to the root of the repo and check symbol visibility
+popd
+ci/check_symbols.sh "$(echo ${package_dir}/final_dist/rmm_*.whl)"
diff --git a/ci/check_symbols.sh b/ci/check_symbols.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..1d73a082b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/check_symbols.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Copyright (c) 2024, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+
+set -eEuo pipefail
+
+echo "checking for symbol visibility issues"
+
+WHEEL_FILE=${1}
+
+raise-symbols-found-error() {
+    local pattern="${1}"
+
+err_msg="ERROR: Found some exported symbols matching the pattern '${pattern}'.
+
+These should be marked with 'hidden' visibility.
+See https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/prop_tgt/LANG_VISIBILITY_PRESET.html and https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/Visibility for details.
+"
+
+    echo ""
+    echo "${err_msg}"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+WHEEL_EXPORT_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+
+unzip \
+    -d "${WHEEL_EXPORT_DIR}" \
+    "${WHEEL_FILE}"
+
+dso_files=$(
+    find \
+        "${WHEEL_EXPORT_DIR}" \
+        -type f \
+        \( -name '*.so' -o -name '*.so.*' \)
+)
+
+for dso_file in ${dso_files}; do
+    echo ""
+    echo "checking exported symbols in '${dso_file}'"
+    symbol_file="./syms.txt"
+    readelf --symbols --wide "${dso_file}" \
+        | c++filt \
+        > "${symbol_file}"
+
+    echo "symbol counts by type"
+    echo "  * GLOBAL: $(grep --count -E ' GLOBAL ' < ${symbol_file})"
+    echo "  * WEAK: $(grep --count -E '  WEAK '    < ${symbol_file})"
+    echo "  * LOCAL: $(grep --count -E '  LOCAL '  < ${symbol_file})"
+
+    # Explanation for '-v' uses here:
+    #
+    #   * 'format_error' symbols are intentionally exported, that type of error
+    #      can be thrown across library boundaries. See "Problems with C++ exceptions"
+    #      at https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/Visibility.
+    echo "checking for 'fmt::' symbols..."
+    if grep -E 'fmt\:\:' < "${symbol_file}" \
+        | grep -v 'format_error'
+    then
+        raise-symbols-found-error 'fmt::'
+    fi
+
+    # Explanation for '-v' uses here:
+    #
+    #  * trivially-destructible objects sometimes get an entry in the symbol table
+    #    for a specialization of `std::_Destroy_aux()` called to destroy them.
+    #    There is one for `spdlog::details::log_msg_buffer like that:
+    #
+    #       'std::_Destroy_aux<false>::__destroy<spdlog::details::log_msg_buffer*>'
+    #
+    #    That should be safe to export.
+    #
+    echo "checking for 'spdlog::' symbols..."
+    if grep -E 'spdlog\:\:' < "${symbol_file}" \
+        | grep -v 'std\:\:_Destroy_aux'
+    then
+        raise-symbols-found-error 'spdlog::'
+    fi
+    echo "No symbol visibility issues found"
+done
+
+echo ""
+echo "No symbol visibility issues found in any DSOs"
diff --git a/python/rmm/rmm/_cuda/CMakeLists.txt b/python/rmm/rmm/_cuda/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f17b0d2c..7fd27d110 100644
--- a/python/rmm/rmm/_cuda/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/rmm/rmm/_cuda/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # =============================================================================
-# Copyright (c) 2022, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+# Copyright (c) 2022-2024, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except
 # in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
@@ -17,3 +17,10 @@ set(linked_libraries rmm::rmm)
 
 rapids_cython_create_modules(SOURCE_FILES "${cython_sources}" LINKED_LIBRARIES "${linked_libraries}"
                                                                                CXX)
+
+# mark all symbols in these Cython targets "hidden" by default, so they won't collide with symbols
+# loaded from other DSOs
+foreach(_cython_target IN LISTS RAPIDS_CYTHON_CREATED_TARGETS)
+  set_target_properties(${_cython_target} PROPERTIES C_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden
+                                                     CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden)
+endforeach()
diff --git a/python/rmm/rmm/_lib/CMakeLists.txt b/python/rmm/rmm/_lib/CMakeLists.txt
index 980217f0c..1e629a402 100644
--- a/python/rmm/rmm/_lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/rmm/rmm/_lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # =============================================================================
-# Copyright (c) 2022, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+# Copyright (c) 2022-2024, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
 #
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except
 # in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ set(linked_libraries rmm::rmm)
 rapids_cython_create_modules(SOURCE_FILES "${cython_sources}" LINKED_LIBRARIES "${linked_libraries}"
                                                                                CXX)
 
+# mark all symbols in these Cython targets "hidden" by default, so they won't collide with symbols
+# loaded from other DSOs
+foreach(_cython_target IN LISTS RAPIDS_CYTHON_CREATED_TARGETS)
+  set_target_properties(${_cython_target} PROPERTIES C_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden
+                                                     CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden)
+endforeach()
+
 add_library(_torch_allocator SHARED _torch_allocator.cpp)
 # Want the output to be called _torch_allocator.so
 set_target_properties(_torch_allocator PROPERTIES PREFIX "" SUFFIX ".so")