diff --git a/.ci/scripts/wheel/test_cpp_sdk.py b/.ci/scripts/wheel/test_cpp_sdk.py
index 7905873fca9..7f72167b044 100644
--- a/.ci/scripts/wheel/test_cpp_sdk.py
+++ b/.ci/scripts/wheel/test_cpp_sdk.py
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@
     "executorch::runtime::get_registered_kernels",
 )
 
+# A representative symbol from the XNNPACK delegate. A second definer means the
+# process carries two copies of the delegate.
+_XNNPACK_SYMBOLS = (
+    "executorch::backends::xnnpack::XnnpackBackendOptions::workspace_manager",
+)
+
 # `nm -DC` prints "<hexaddr> <kind> <name>" for a definition and
 # "                 U <name>" for an undefined reference.
 _DEFINED = re.compile(r"^[0-9a-fA-F]+\s+(?P<kind>[A-Za-z])\s+(?P<name>.+)$")
@@ -183,6 +189,11 @@ def test_single_kernel_registration() -> None:
     _report_definers(_KERNEL_REGISTRY_SYMBOLS, "operator registry")
 
 
+def test_single_xnnpack_delegate() -> None:
+    """Exactly one shipped library may define the XNNPACK delegate."""
+    _assert_single_definer(_XNNPACK_SYMBOLS, "XNNPACK delegate")
+
+
 def test_cpp_consumer(work_dir: Path) -> None:
     """A standalone C++ app builds and runs against the installed wheel."""
     assert shutil.which("cmake") is not None, "cmake is required to build a consumer"
@@ -284,4 +295,5 @@ def run_tests(work_dir: Path) -> None:
     test_single_backend_registry()
     test_single_threadpool()
     test_single_kernel_registration()
+    test_single_xnnpack_delegate()
     test_cpp_consumer(work_dir)
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7dcfef1ffa8..1816ba41d9e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1206,9 +1206,15 @@ if(EXECUTORCH_BUILD_PYBIND)
   endif()
 
   if(EXECUTORCH_BUILD_XNNPACK)
-    # need to explicitly specify XNNPACK and xnnpack-microkernels-prod here
-    # otherwise uses XNNPACK and microkernel-prod symbols from libtorch_cpu
-    list(APPEND _dep_libs xnnpack_backend XNNPACK xnnpack-microkernels-prod)
+    if(EXECUTORCH_BUILD_SHARED)
+      # The delegate bundles XNNPACK and its microkernels, so naming them again
+      # here would ship a second copy.
+      list(APPEND _dep_libs xnnpack_backend)
+    else()
+      # need to explicitly specify XNNPACK and xnnpack-microkernels-prod here
+      # otherwise uses XNNPACK and microkernel-prod symbols from libtorch_cpu
+      list(APPEND _dep_libs xnnpack_backend XNNPACK xnnpack-microkernels-prod)
+    endif()
   endif()
 
   if(EXECUTORCH_BUILD_VULKAN)
@@ -1263,14 +1269,17 @@ if(EXECUTORCH_BUILD_PYBIND)
   target_compile_options(portable_lib PUBLIC ${_pybind_compile_options})
   target_link_libraries(portable_lib PRIVATE ${_dep_libs})
   executorch_target_link_shared_runtime(portable_lib)
-  # The operators register themselves from a static initializer, so nothing here
-  # references a symbol from the kernels library and some linkers drop it, which
-  # surfaces at runtime as a missing kernel rather than a link error.
-  if(TARGET optimized_native_cpu_ops_lib)
-    executorch_target_retain_shared_library(
-      portable_lib optimized_native_cpu_ops_lib
-    )
-  endif()
+  # These libraries register their operators or their backend from a static
+  # initializer, so nothing here references a symbol from them and some linkers
+  # drop them from DT_NEEDED. That surfaces at runtime as a missing kernel or an
+  # unregistered backend rather than as a link error.
+  foreach(_retained_component optimized_native_cpu_ops_lib xnnpack_backend)
+    if(TARGET ${_retained_component})
+      executorch_target_retain_shared_library(
+        portable_lib ${_retained_component}
+      )
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
 
   # Set RPATH to find PyTorch and backend libraries relative to the installation
   # location. This goes from executorch/extension/pybindings up to
diff --git a/backends/xnnpack/CMakeLists.txt b/backends/xnnpack/CMakeLists.txt
index cd0d945a84f..b2adcd9ed0f 100644
--- a/backends/xnnpack/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/backends/xnnpack/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -101,11 +101,41 @@ set(xnnpack_third_party pthreadpool extension_threadpool cpuinfo)
 include(cmake/Dependencies.cmake)
 
 list(TRANSFORM _xnnpack_backend__srcs PREPEND "${EXECUTORCH_ROOT}/")
-add_library(xnnpack_backend ${_xnnpack_backend__srcs})
+# Build the delegate as a shared library for the wheel so a process has one copy
+# of it, and keep it static everywhere else so no other build changes.
+if(EXECUTORCH_BUILD_SHARED)
+  set(_xnnpack_backend_library_type SHARED)
+else()
+  set(_xnnpack_backend_library_type STATIC)
+endif()
+add_library(
+  xnnpack_backend ${_xnnpack_backend_library_type} ${_xnnpack_backend__srcs}
+)
 target_link_libraries(
-  xnnpack_backend PUBLIC ${xnnpack_third_party} executorch_core xnnpack_schema
+  xnnpack_backend PUBLIC ${xnnpack_third_party} xnnpack_schema
                          extension_threadpool
 )
+if(EXECUTORCH_BUILD_SHARED)
+  set_target_properties(
+    xnnpack_backend
+    PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME executorch_xnnpack_backend
+               VERSION "${PROJECT_VERSION}"
+               SOVERSION "${PROJECT_VERSION_MAJOR}"
+  )
+  # XNNPACK and its microkernels are forced static, so bundle them inside this
+  # library instead of making every consumer supply them.
+  executorch_target_whole_archive(xnnpack_backend XNNPACK)
+  executorch_target_whole_archive(xnnpack_backend xnnpack-microkernels-prod)
+  target_link_libraries(xnnpack_backend PUBLIC executorch_shared)
+  if(NOT APPLE)
+    # Ships beside the runtime in the wheel's lib/ directory.
+    set_target_properties(
+      xnnpack_backend PROPERTIES BUILD_RPATH "$ORIGIN" INSTALL_RPATH "$ORIGIN"
+    )
+  endif()
+else()
+  target_link_libraries(xnnpack_backend PUBLIC executorch_core)
+endif()
 target_include_directories(
   xnnpack_backend PUBLIC ${_common_include_directories}
 )
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4a862be1d7d..cf08272eb7c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1157,6 +1157,23 @@ def run(self):  # noqa C901
                         "EXECUTORCH_BUILD_KERNELS_OPTIMIZED",
                     ],
                 ),
+                # Install the XNNPACK delegate beside them, so a process has one
+                # copy of it instead of one per component that uses it.
+                BuiltFile(
+                    src_dir="%CMAKE_CACHE_DIR%/backends/xnnpack/",
+                    src_name=(
+                        "libexecutorch_xnnpack_backend.so."
+                        f"{get_runtime_soname_major()}.*"
+                    ),
+                    dst=(
+                        "executorch/lib/libexecutorch_xnnpack_backend.so."
+                        f"{get_runtime_soname_major()}"
+                    ),
+                    dependent_cmake_flags=[
+                        "EXECUTORCH_BUILD_SHARED",
+                        "EXECUTORCH_BUILD_XNNPACK",
+                    ],
+                ),
                 # Install the prebuilt pybindings extension wrapper for the runtime,
                 # portable kernels, and a selection of backends. This lets users
                 # load and execute .pte files from python.