diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 431f77040b..683235b7f3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ END_UNRELEASED_TEMPLATE
   that are associated with the target's `srcs` are present.
   ([#3354](https://github.com/bazel-contrib/rules_python/issues/3354)).
 
+{#v1-8-2}
+## [1.8.2] - 2026-01-24
+
+{#v1-8-2-fixed}
+### Fixed
+* (venvs) relax the C library filename check to make tensorflow work
+  Fixes [#3524](https://github.com/bazel-contrib/rules_python/issues/3529).
+
 {#v1-8-1}
 ## [1.8.1] - 2026-01-20
 
diff --git a/python/private/venv_runfiles.bzl b/python/private/venv_runfiles.bzl
index 7f6af0c957..d522470942 100644
--- a/python/private/venv_runfiles.bzl
+++ b/python/private/venv_runfiles.bzl
@@ -452,18 +452,11 @@ def get_venv_symlinks(
 def _is_linker_loaded_library(filename):
     """Tells if a filename is one that `dlopen()` or the runtime linker handles.
 
-    This should return true for regular C libraries, but false for Python
-    C extension modules.
-
-    Python extensions: .so (linux, mac), .pyd (windows)
-
-    C libraries: lib*.so (linux), lib*.so.* (linux), lib*.dylib (mac), .dll (windows)
+    C libraries: *.so (linux), *.so.* (linux), *.dylib (mac), .dll (windows)
     """
     if filename.endswith(".dll"):
         return True
-    if filename.startswith("lib") and (
-        filename.endswith((".so", ".dylib")) or ".so." in filename
-    ):
+    if filename.endswith((".so", ".dylib")) or ".so." in filename:
         return True
     return False
 
diff --git a/tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/app_files_building_tests.bzl b/tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/app_files_building_tests.bzl
index f85508dd3d..d808eae7e9 100644
--- a/tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/app_files_building_tests.bzl
+++ b/tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/app_files_building_tests.bzl
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def _test_optimized_grouping_complex(name):
         name = name + "_files",
         paths = [
             "site-packages/pkg1/a.txt",
-            "site-packages/pkg1/b/b_mod.so",
+            "site-packages/pkg1/b/b_mod_so",
             "site-packages/pkg1/c/c1.txt",
             "site-packages/pkg1/c/c2.txt",
             "site-packages/pkg1/d/d1.txt",
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ def _test_optimized_grouping_complex(name):
             "site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2a/q3/q3a.txt",
             "site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2a/q3/q3b.txt",
             "site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2b/q2b.txt",
+            "site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2c/c_mod.so",
+            "site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2c/q2.txt",
+            "site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2c/q3/q3a.txt",
+            "site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2c/q3/q3b.txt",
         ],
     )
     analysis_test(
@@ -181,7 +185,7 @@ def _test_optimized_grouping_complex_impl(env, target):
             "pkg1/b",
             link_to_path = rr + "pkg1/b",
             files = [
-                "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg1/b/b_mod.so",
+                "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg1/b/b_mod_so",
             ],
         ),
         _venv_symlink("pkg1/c", link_to_path = rr + "pkg1/c", files = [
@@ -210,6 +214,16 @@ def _test_optimized_grouping_complex_impl(env, target):
         _venv_symlink("pkg1/q1/q2b", link_to_path = rr + "pkg1/q1/q2b", files = [
             "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2b/q2b.txt",
         ]),
+        _venv_symlink("pkg1/q1/q2c/c_mod.so", link_to_path = rr + "pkg1/q1/q2c/c_mod.so", files = [
+            "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2c/c_mod.so",
+        ]),
+        _venv_symlink("pkg1/q1/q2c/q2.txt", link_to_path = rr + "pkg1/q1/q2c/q2.txt", files = [
+            "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2c/q2.txt",
+        ]),
+        _venv_symlink("pkg1/q1/q2c/q3", link_to_path = rr + "pkg1/q1/q2c/q3", files = [
+            "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2c/q3/q3a.txt",
+            "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg1/q1/q2c/q3/q3b.txt",
+        ]),
     ]
     expected = sorted(expected, key = lambda e: (e.link_to_path, e.venv_path))
     env.expect.that_collection(
@@ -226,7 +240,7 @@ def _test_optimized_grouping_single_toplevel(name):
         paths = [
             "site-packages/pkg2/__init__.py",
             "site-packages/pkg2/a.txt",
-            "site-packages/pkg2/b_mod.so",
+            "site-packages/pkg2/b_mod_so",
         ],
     )
     analysis_test(
@@ -256,7 +270,7 @@ def _test_optimized_grouping_single_toplevel_impl(env, target):
             files = [
                 "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg2/__init__.py",
                 "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg2/a.txt",
-                "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg2/b_mod.so",
+                "tests/venv_site_packages_libs/app_files_building/site-packages/pkg2/b_mod_so",
             ],
         ),
     ]