diff --git a/security/py-yara/Makefile b/security/py-yara/Makefile
index 3c1fd9c50b1f..474f0f305e89 100644
--- a/security/py-yara/Makefile
+++ b/security/py-yara/Makefile
@@ -1,32 +1,33 @@
-PORTNAME=	yara
-PORTVERSION=	4.3.1
-PORTREVISION=	1
+PORTNAME=	yara-python
+PORTVERSION=	4.5.5
 DISTVERSIONPREFIX=	v
 CATEGORIES=	security python
 PKGNAMEPREFIX=	${PYTHON_PKGNAMEPREFIX}
 
 MAINTAINER=	antoine@FreeBSD.org
 COMMENT=	Python bindings for yara
 WWW=		https://virustotal.github.io/yara/
 
 LICENSE=	APACHE20
 LICENSE_FILE=	${WRKSRC}/LICENSE
 
 CONFLICTS_INSTALL=	${PYTHON_PKGNAMEPREFIX}yara-python-dex
 
+BUILD_DEPENDS=	${PY_SETUPTOOLS} \
+		${PYTHON_PKGNAMEPREFIX}wheel>=0:devel/py-wheel@${PY_FLAVOR}
 LIB_DEPENDS=	libyara.so:security/yara
 
 USE_GITHUB=	yes
 GH_ACCOUNT=	VirusTotal
-GH_PROJECT=	yara-python
 
 USES=		cpe localbase python
 CPE_VENDOR=	virustotal
-USE_PYTHON=	distutils autoplist
-PYDISTUTILS_BUILDARGS=	--dynamic-linking
+USE_PYTHON=	pep517 autoplist
+# XXX could not figure out how to pass --dynamic-linking as setup.py build args
+#PEP517_BUILD_CONFIG_SETTING=	--dynamic-linking
 
 DO_MAKE_TEST=	${SETENV} ${TEST_ENV} ${PYTHON_CMD} tests.py
 TEST_ENV=	${MAKE_ENV} PYTHONPATH=${STAGEDIR}${PYTHONPREFIX_SITELIBDIR}
 TEST_TARGET=	# empty
 
 .include <bsd.port.mk>
diff --git a/security/py-yara/distinfo b/security/py-yara/distinfo
index ac14275b20e8..8f5e328dfdbb 100644
--- a/security/py-yara/distinfo
+++ b/security/py-yara/distinfo
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-TIMESTAMP = 1709218082
-SHA256 (VirusTotal-yara-python-v4.3.1_GH0.tar.gz) = b17e545feb0c66fa18ff59edc9c71120543d894347e1c40d0bafb29067a470d9
-SIZE (VirusTotal-yara-python-v4.3.1_GH0.tar.gz) = 37871
+TIMESTAMP = 1779270503
+SHA256 (VirusTotal-yara-python-v4.5.5_GH0.tar.gz) = da79d0c8f07eed9780e14e3e51ee0ccdd5b9a28b5ed8b22735c2c2497f8dbff9
+SIZE (VirusTotal-yara-python-v4.5.5_GH0.tar.gz) = 39314
diff --git a/security/py-yara/files/patch-setup.py b/security/py-yara/files/patch-setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a97c851deb6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/security/py-yara/files/patch-setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--- setup.py.orig	2026-04-22 12:28:05 UTC
++++ setup.py
+@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class BuildCommand(build):
+   def initialize_options(self):
+ 
+     build.initialize_options(self)
+-    self.dynamic_linking = None
++    self.dynamic_linking = True
+     self.enable_magic = None
+     self.enable_cuckoo = None
+     self.enable_dex = None