diff --git a/.github/workflows/bld_wheels_and_upload.yml b/.github/workflows/bld_wheels_and_upload.yml
index 1406ff31..b72f9936 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bld_wheels_and_upload.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bld_wheels_and_upload.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
   push:
     branches:
-      - master
+      - '*'
   # Sequence of patterns matched against refs/tags
     tags:
       - 'v*' # Push events to matching v*, i.e. v1.0, v20.15.10
@@ -70,11 +70,15 @@ jobs:
         uses: pypa/cibuildwheel@v3.4.1
         env:
          CIBW_ARCHS_LINUX: "x86_64 i686"
-         CIBW_MANYLINUX_I686_IMAGE: manylinux2014
-         CIBW_MANYLINUX_X86_64_IMAGE: manylinux2014
+         # clidriver v12.1 needs glibc >= 2.34 and CPUs supporting the x86_64-v2
+         # instruction set (see https://github.com/pypa/manylinux/issues/1725),
+         # so manylinux2014 (glibc 2.17) can no longer be used here.
+         CIBW_MANYLINUX_I686_IMAGE: manylinux_2_34
+         CIBW_MANYLINUX_X86_64_IMAGE: manylinux_2_34
          CIBW_SKIP: "cp38-* *t-* *-musllinux_* *-*linux_{aarch64,ppc64le}"
          CIBW_REPAIR_WHEEL_COMMAND_LINUX:
             auditwheel repair
+              --disable-isa-ext-check
               --exclude libdb2.so.1
               --exclude libDB2xml4c.so.58
               --exclude libm.so.6
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3b2fbc8b..fc6b3a29 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,12 +60,12 @@ If you face problems due to missing python header files while installing the dri
 
 If you have installed `DB2_RTC*` i.e. **DB2 Runtime Client** and want `ibm_db` to use it instead of clidriver, please read [this comment](https://github.com/ibmdb/python-ibmdb/issues/1023#issuecomment-3062805368) and take action.
 
-- clidriver v12.1 on Linux uses x86_64_v2 instruction set which is not supported by cibuildwheel and wheel image creation [fails](https://github.com/pypa/manylinux/issues/1725) using v12.1 clidriver. So, default version of clidriver on Linux platform is v11.5.9 only.
+- clidriver v12.1 on Linux requires glibc >= 2.34 and a CPU supporting the x86_64-v2 instruction set (e.g. Ubuntu 21.10+, RHEL 9+, Debian 12+, Fedora 35+ on hardware from 2009 onwards). Official Linux wheels on PyPI are now built with v12.1 clidriver using the `manylinux_2_34` image (see [pypa/manylinux#1725](https://github.com/pypa/manylinux/issues/1725) for background).
 
-- You can force installation of ibm_db on Linux with clidriver v12.1 using below commands:
+- If your system does not meet the glibc/CPU requirement above, install ibm_db from source with the older v11.5.9 clidriver instead:
 
 ```
-export CLIDRIVER_VERSION=v12.1.0
+export CLIDRIVER_VERSION=v11.5.9
 pip install ibm_db --no-binary :all: --no-cache-dir
 ```
 
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ conn = ibm_db.connect(connStr,'','')
 
 - For MacOSx64(Intel processor) and Linuxx64, **db2connect license of version 11.5** is required.
 
-- clidriver v12.1 on Linux uses x86_64_v2 instruction set which is not supported by `cibuildwheel` and wheel image creation [fails](https://github.com/pypa/manylinux/issues/1725) using v12.1 clidriver. So, default version of clidriver on Linux platform is v11.5.9 only.
+- clidriver v12.1 on Linux requires glibc >= 2.34 and a CPU supporting the x86_64-v2 instruction set (see [pypa/manylinux#1725](https://github.com/pypa/manylinux/issues/1725) for background). Official Linux wheels on PyPI are built with v12.1 clidriver using the `manylinux_2_34` image.
 
 - For activating server side license, you can purchase either `Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition for System z®` or `Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition for System i®` license from IBM.
 
diff --git a/ibm_db.c b/ibm_db.c
index c9363119..52d164c7 100644
--- a/ibm_db.c
+++ b/ibm_db.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <datetime.h>
 #include "ibm_db.h"
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <wctype.h>
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #include <windows.h>
 #else
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index ce4bbd14..363c4766 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -288,12 +288,7 @@ def print_exception( e, url):
         prebuildIbmdbPYD = True
 
 # Get version of clidriver for autodownload from environment variable CLIDRIVER_VERSION
-# Default version is v12.1.0 for non-linux platform.
-clidriver_version = os.getenv("CLIDRIVER_VERSION", "v12.1.0")
-
-# Default version is v11.5.9 for linux. clidriver v12.1.0 for linux uses x86_64_V2 instruction set which is not supported by cibuildwheel
-if ('linux' == sys.platform):
-    clidriver_version = os.getenv("CLIDRIVER_VERSION", "v11.5.9")
+clidriver_version = os.getenv("CLIDRIVER_VERSION", "")
 
 if ((ibm_db_home == '') and (ibm_db_dir == '') and (ibm_db_lib == '')):
     if('win32' not in sys.platform):
@@ -383,7 +378,8 @@ def print_exception( e, url):
     ibm_db_lib_runtime = os.path.join('$ORIGIN', 'clidriver', 'lib')
     ibm_db_dir = 'clidriver'
     ibm_db_lib = os.path.join(ibm_db_dir, 'lib')
-    clidriver_version = clidriver_version + "/"
+    if(clidriver_version and not clidriver_version.endswith("/")):
+        clidriver_version = clidriver_version + "/"
 
     if not os.path.isdir('clidriver'):
         if 'IBM_DB_INSTALLER_URL' in os.environ: