diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_bindings/cynvrtc.pyx.in b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_bindings/cynvrtc.pyx.in
index c498b0f675..05e6e82b53 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_bindings/cynvrtc.pyx.in
+++ b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_bindings/cynvrtc.pyx.in
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import win32api
 cimport cuda.bindings._lib.dlfcn as dlfcn
 from libc.stdint cimport uintptr_t
 {{endif}}
-from cuda.bindings import path_finder
+from cuda.pathfinder import load_nvidia_dynamic_lib
 from libc.stdint cimport intptr_t
 
 cdef bint __cuPythonInit = False
@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@ cdef int cuPythonInit() except -1 nogil:
     # Load library
     {{if 'Windows' == platform.system()}}
     with gil:
-        handle = path_finder._load_nvidia_dynamic_library("nvrtc").handle
+        handle = load_nvidia_dynamic_lib("nvrtc")._handle_uint
     {{else}}
     with gil:
-        handle = <void*><uintptr_t>path_finder._load_nvidia_dynamic_library("nvrtc").handle
+        handle = <void*><uintptr_t>load_nvidia_dynamic_lib("nvrtc")._handle_uint
     {{endif}}
 
 
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/cufile_linux.pyx b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/cufile_linux.pyx
index 66cb24ea71..1988e6c7a6 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/cufile_linux.pyx
+++ b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/cufile_linux.pyx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from libc.stdint cimport intptr_t, uintptr_t
 
 from .utils import FunctionNotFoundError, NotSupportedError
 
-from cuda.bindings import path_finder
+from cuda.pathfinder import load_nvidia_dynamic_lib
 
 import cython
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ cdef void* __cuFileSetParameterString = NULL
 
 
 cdef void* load_library(const int driver_ver) except* with gil:
-    cdef uintptr_t handle = path_finder._load_nvidia_dynamic_library("cufile").handle
+    cdef uintptr_t handle = load_nvidia_dynamic_lib("cufile")._handle_uint
     return <void*>handle
 
 
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvjitlink_linux.pyx b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvjitlink_linux.pyx
index 22b2e0835d..1d47c4afe2 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvjitlink_linux.pyx
+++ b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvjitlink_linux.pyx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from libc.stdint cimport intptr_t, uintptr_t
 
 from .utils import FunctionNotFoundError, NotSupportedError
 
-from cuda.bindings import path_finder
+from cuda.pathfinder import load_nvidia_dynamic_lib
 
 ###############################################################################
 # Extern
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ cdef void* __nvJitLinkVersion = NULL
 
 
 cdef void* load_library(int driver_ver) except* with gil:
-    cdef uintptr_t handle = path_finder._load_nvidia_dynamic_library("nvJitLink").handle
+    cdef uintptr_t handle = load_nvidia_dynamic_lib("nvJitLink")._handle_uint
     return <void*>handle
 
 
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvjitlink_windows.pyx b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvjitlink_windows.pyx
index 988ead7a8c..0876755ce2 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvjitlink_windows.pyx
+++ b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvjitlink_windows.pyx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from libc.stdint cimport intptr_t
 
 from .utils import FunctionNotFoundError, NotSupportedError
 
-from cuda.bindings import path_finder
+from cuda.pathfinder import load_nvidia_dynamic_lib
 
 import win32api
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ cdef int _check_or_init_nvjitlink() except -1 nogil:
             raise RuntimeError('something went wrong')
 
         # Load library
-        handle = path_finder._load_nvidia_dynamic_library("nvJitLink").handle
+        handle = load_nvidia_dynamic_lib("nvJitLink")._handle_uint
 
         # Load function
         global __nvJitLinkCreate
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvvm_linux.pyx b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvvm_linux.pyx
index 02c6ba0366..24b490920f 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvvm_linux.pyx
+++ b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvvm_linux.pyx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from libc.stdint cimport intptr_t, uintptr_t
 
 from .utils import FunctionNotFoundError, NotSupportedError
 
-from cuda.bindings import path_finder
+from cuda.pathfinder import load_nvidia_dynamic_lib
 
 ###############################################################################
 # Extern
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ cdef void* __nvvmGetProgramLog = NULL
 
 
 cdef void* load_library(const int driver_ver) except* with gil:
-    cdef uintptr_t handle = path_finder._load_nvidia_dynamic_library("nvvm").handle
+    cdef uintptr_t handle = load_nvidia_dynamic_lib("nvvm")._handle_uint
     return <void*>handle
 
 
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvvm_windows.pyx b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvvm_windows.pyx
index f8c5502cd5..9635760bda 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvvm_windows.pyx
+++ b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_internal/nvvm_windows.pyx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from libc.stdint cimport intptr_t
 
 from .utils import FunctionNotFoundError, NotSupportedError
 
-from cuda.bindings import path_finder
+from cuda.pathfinder import load_nvidia_dynamic_lib
 
 import win32api
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ cdef int _check_or_init_nvvm() except -1 nogil:
             raise RuntimeError('something went wrong')
 
         # Load library
-        handle = path_finder._load_nvidia_dynamic_library("nvvm").handle
+        handle = load_nvidia_dynamic_lib("nvvm")._handle_uint
 
         # Load function
         global __nvvmGetErrorString
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_path_finder/README.md b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_path_finder/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 48b12163ec..0000000000
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_path_finder/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-# The `cuda.bindings.path_finder` module was moved → `cuda.pathfinder`
-
-`cuda.bindings.path_finder` is deprecated and slated to be removed in the next `cuda-bindings` major version release.
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_path_finder/temporary_backward_compatibility.py b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_path_finder/temporary_backward_compatibility.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 0b7cb4d277..0000000000
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/_path_finder/temporary_backward_compatibility.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2025 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-NVIDIA-SOFTWARE-LICENSE
-
-# This is for TEMPORARY BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY only.
-# cuda.bindings.path_finder is deprecated and slated to be removed in the next cuda-bindings major version release.
-
-from dataclasses import dataclass
-from typing import Optional
-
-from cuda.pathfinder import load_nvidia_dynamic_lib
-from cuda.pathfinder._dynamic_libs import supported_nvidia_libs
-
-if supported_nvidia_libs.IS_WINDOWS:
-    import pywintypes
-
-    from cuda.pathfinder._dynamic_libs.load_dl_windows import POINTER_ADDRESS_SPACE
-
-    def _unsigned_int_to_pywintypes_handle(handle_uint: int) -> pywintypes.HANDLE:
-        handle_int = handle_uint - POINTER_ADDRESS_SPACE if handle_uint >= POINTER_ADDRESS_SPACE // 2 else handle_uint
-        return pywintypes.HANDLE(handle_int)
-
-    HandleType = pywintypes.HANDLE
-else:
-    HandleType = int
-
-
-# Original implementation, before making handle private as _handle_uint.
-@dataclass
-class LoadedDL:
-    handle: HandleType  # type: ignore[valid-type]
-    abs_path: Optional[str]
-    was_already_loaded_from_elsewhere: bool
-
-
-def load_nvidia_dynamic_library(libname: str) -> LoadedDL:
-    loaded_dl_uint = load_nvidia_dynamic_lib(libname)
-    if supported_nvidia_libs.IS_WINDOWS:
-        handle = _unsigned_int_to_pywintypes_handle(loaded_dl_uint._handle_uint)
-    else:
-        handle = loaded_dl_uint._handle_uint
-    return LoadedDL(handle, loaded_dl_uint.abs_path, loaded_dl_uint.was_already_loaded_from_elsewhere)
diff --git a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/path_finder.py b/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/path_finder.py
deleted file mode 100644
index fc6cade25f..0000000000
--- a/cuda_bindings/cuda/bindings/path_finder.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2024-2025 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-NVIDIA-SOFTWARE-LICENSE
-
-# This file is for TEMPORARY BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY only.
-# cuda.bindings.path_finder is deprecated and slated to be removed in the next cuda-bindings major version release.
-
-from cuda.bindings._path_finder.temporary_backward_compatibility import (
-    load_nvidia_dynamic_library as _load_nvidia_dynamic_library,
-)
-from cuda.pathfinder import SUPPORTED_NVIDIA_LIBNAMES as _SUPPORTED_LIBNAMES
-
-__all__ = [
-    "_load_nvidia_dynamic_library",
-    "_SUPPORTED_LIBNAMES",
-]