diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 54d682065..6dc849763 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import sysconfig
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from setuptools import Extension, setup
@@ -15,6 +16,24 @@
 PROJ_VERSION_SEARCH = re.compile(r".*Rel\.\s+(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+).*")
 VERSION_SEARCH = re.compile(r".*(?P<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+).*")
 
+# restrict LIMITED_API usage:
+# - require an env var PYPROJ_LIMITED_API=1
+# - LIMITED_API is not compatible with free-threading (as of CPython 3.14)
+USE_PY_LIMITED_API = os.environ.get(
+    "PYPROJ_LIMITED_API"
+) == "1" and not sysconfig.get_config_var("Py_GIL_DISABLED")
+ABI3_TARGET_VERSION = "".join(str(_) for _ in sys.version_info[:2])
+ABI3_TARGET_HEX = hex(sys.hexversion & 0xFFFF00F0)
+
+
+define_macros = [
+    ("NPY_NO_DEPRECATED_API", "NPY_1_7_API_VERSION"),
+    # keep in sync with runtime requirements (pyproject.toml)
+    ("NPY_TARGET_VERSION", "NPY_1_23_API_VERSION"),
+]
+if USE_PY_LIMITED_API:
+    define_macros.append(("Py_LIMITED_API", ABI3_TARGET_HEX))
+
 
 def _parse_version(version: str) -> tuple[int, int, int]:
     """Convert a version string to a tuple of integers."""
@@ -198,6 +217,7 @@ def get_extension_modules():
             library_dirs if os.name != "nt" and sys.platform != "cygwin" else None
         ),
         "libraries": get_libraries(library_dirs),
+        "py_limited_api": USE_PY_LIMITED_API,
     }
     # setup cythonized modules
     return cythonize(
@@ -244,10 +264,16 @@ def get_package_data() -> dict[str, list[str]]:
     return package_data
 
 
+if USE_PY_LIMITED_API:
+    options = {"bdist_wheel": {"py_limited_api": f"cp{ABI3_TARGET_VERSION}"}}
+else:
+    options = {}
+
 # static items in pyproject.toml
 setup(
     ext_modules=get_extension_modules(),
     package_data=get_package_data(),
     # temptorary hack to add in metadata
     url="https://github.com/pyproj4/pyproj",
+    options=options,
 )