diff --git a/conda/recipes/libcuopt/recipe.yaml b/conda/recipes/libcuopt/recipe.yaml
index 85c2974dd3..634250d85c 100644
--- a/conda/recipes/libcuopt/recipe.yaml
+++ b/conda/recipes/libcuopt/recipe.yaml
@@ -100,25 +100,23 @@ cache:
       - re2
 
 outputs:
+  # One output per component library. Each installs only its own install component,
+  # so a routing-only install no longer pulls the LP solver or its cusparse / cudss /
+  # nccl dependencies. See #1635.
   - package:
-      name: libcuopt
+      name: libcuopt-client
       version: ${{ version }}
     build:
       script:
         content: |
-          cmake --install cpp/build
-          # libcuopt.so is a linker script, so the components are what carry symbols.
-          # Only cuopt_mathopt provides the C API.
-          ./ci/check_symbols.sh cpp/build/libcuopt_mathopt.so
-          ./ci/check_symbols.sh cpp/build/libcuopt_routing.so --no-public-api-check
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component client
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component client-dev
           ./ci/check_symbols.sh cpp/build/libcuopt_client.so --no-public-api-check
       dynamic_linking:
         overlinking_behavior: "error"
       prefix_detection:
         ignore:
           # See https://github.com/rapidsai/build-planning/issues/160
-          - lib/libcuopt_routing.so
-          - lib/libcuopt_mathopt.so
           - lib/libcuopt_client.so
       string: cuda${{ cuda_major }}_${{ datetime_string }}_${{ head_rev }}
     requirements:
@@ -127,15 +125,9 @@ outputs:
         - ${{ stdlib("c") }}
         - binutils
       host:
-        - libboost-devel
         - cuda-version =${{ cuda_version }}
         - rapids-logger =0.3
         - librmm =${{ minor_version }}
-        - libcublas
-        - libcudss-dev >=0.7,<0.8
-        - libcusparse-dev
-        - libnvjitlink-dev
-        - nccl >=2.19
         - openssl
         - c-ares
         - libuuid
@@ -143,21 +135,92 @@ outputs:
         - libprotobuf
         - libabseil
         - re2
-        - tbb-devel
       run:
         - ${{ pin_compatible("cuda-version", upper_bound="x", lower_bound="x") }}
-        - libboost-devel
         - librmm =${{ minor_version }}
-        - cuda-nvrtc
-        - libcudss >=0.7,<0.8
-        - libgomp >=9
-        - nccl >=2.19
         - openssl
         - c-ares
         - libuuid
         - libgrpc >=1.78.0,<1.80.0a0
         - libprotobuf
         - libabseil
+      ignore_run_exports:
+        # Every output inherits the run exports of the shared build cache, whose host
+        # holds the union of all three components' dependencies. The CUDA math libs
+        # export a `>=<built minor>` bound that drags `cuda-version` to the minor
+        # version the package happened to be built against, so they have to be dropped
+        # from outputs that do not link them.
+        by_name:
+          - cuda-nvtx
+          - cuda-version
+          - libboost
+          - libboost_iostreams
+          - libcudss
+          - libcusparse
+          - librmm
+    tests:
+      - package_contents:
+          files:
+            - lib/libcuopt_client.so
+            - include/cuopt/error.hpp
+            - include/cuopt/export.hpp
+      # Loads the library in an environment holding only this package and its declared
+      # dependencies, with RTLD_NOW so every relocation has to resolve. A component that
+      # quietly needs another engine fails here rather than passing because some other
+      # package happened to pull it in.
+      - script: |
+          python -c "import ctypes, os; ctypes.CDLL(os.path.join(os.environ['PREFIX'], 'lib', 'libcuopt_client.so'), os.RTLD_NOW)"
+        requirements:
+          run:
+            - python
+    about:
+      homepage: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.urls.Homepage }}
+      license: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.license }}
+      summary: cuOpt host-side client -- problem representation, parsers and gRPC client
+
+  - package:
+      name: libcuopt-mathopt
+      version: ${{ version }}
+    build:
+      script:
+        content: |
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component mathopt
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component mathopt-dev
+          ./ci/check_symbols.sh cpp/build/libcuopt_mathopt.so
+      dynamic_linking:
+        overlinking_behavior: "error"
+      prefix_detection:
+        ignore:
+          - lib/libcuopt_mathopt.so
+      string: cuda${{ cuda_major }}_${{ datetime_string }}_${{ head_rev }}
+    requirements:
+      build:
+        - cmake ${{ cmake_version }}
+        - ${{ stdlib("c") }}
+        - binutils
+      host:
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - libboost-devel
+        - cuda-version =${{ cuda_version }}
+        - rapids-logger =0.3
+        - librmm =${{ minor_version }}
+        - libcublas
+        - libcudss-dev >=0.7,<0.8
+        - libcusparse-dev
+        - libnvjitlink-dev
+        - nccl >=2.19
+        - tbb-devel
+      run:
+        - ${{ pin_compatible("cuda-version", upper_bound="x", lower_bound="x") }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - libboost-devel
+        - librmm =${{ minor_version }}
+        - cuda-nvrtc
+        - libcublas
+        - libcudss >=0.7,<0.8
+        - libcusparse
+        - libgomp >=9
+        - nccl >=2.19
         - tbb
       ignore_run_exports:
         by_name:
@@ -171,12 +234,190 @@ outputs:
     tests:
       - package_contents:
           files:
-            - lib/libcuopt.so
-            - lib/libcuopt_routing.so
             - lib/libcuopt_mathopt.so
-            - lib/libcuopt_client.so
             - bin/cuopt_cli
+      # Loads the library in an environment holding only this package and its declared
+      # dependencies, with RTLD_NOW so every relocation has to resolve. A component that
+      # quietly needs another engine fails here rather than passing because some other
+      # package happened to pull it in.
+      - script: |
+          python -c "import ctypes, os; ctypes.CDLL(os.path.join(os.environ['PREFIX'], 'lib', 'libcuopt_mathopt.so'), os.RTLD_NOW)"
+        requirements:
+          run:
+            - python
+    about:
+      homepage: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.urls.Homepage }}
+      license: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.license }}
+      summary: cuOpt LP / MILP / QP / SOCP solver
+
+  - package:
+      name: libcuopt-routing
+      version: ${{ version }}
+    build:
+      script:
+        content: |
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component routing
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component routing-dev
+          ./ci/check_symbols.sh cpp/build/libcuopt_routing.so --no-public-api-check
+      dynamic_linking:
+        overlinking_behavior: "error"
+      prefix_detection:
+        ignore:
+          - lib/libcuopt_routing.so
+      string: cuda${{ cuda_major }}_${{ datetime_string }}_${{ head_rev }}
+    requirements:
+      build:
+        - cmake ${{ cmake_version }}
+        - ${{ stdlib("c") }}
+        - binutils
+      host:
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - libboost-devel
+        - cuda-version =${{ cuda_version }}
+        - rapids-logger =0.3
+        - librmm =${{ minor_version }}
+        - libcublas
+      run:
+        - ${{ pin_compatible("cuda-version", upper_bound="x", lower_bound="x") }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - libboost-devel
+        - librmm =${{ minor_version }}
+        # Reaches routing through cuDSS today, whose run export the cache leaks into
+        # every output. Routing does not use cuDSS, so it has to name cuBLAS itself.
+        - libcublas
+      ignore_run_exports:
+        by_name:
+          - cuda-nvtx
+          - cuda-version
+          - libboost
+          - libboost_iostreams
+          - libcudss
+          - libcusparse
+          - librmm
+    tests:
+      - package_contents:
+          files:
+            - lib/libcuopt_routing.so
+      # Loads the library in an environment holding only this package and its declared
+      # dependencies, with RTLD_NOW so every relocation has to resolve. A component that
+      # quietly needs another engine fails here rather than passing because some other
+      # package happened to pull it in.
+      - script: |
+          python -c "import ctypes, os; ctypes.CDLL(os.path.join(os.environ['PREFIX'], 'lib', 'libcuopt_routing.so'), os.RTLD_NOW)"
+        requirements:
+          run:
+            - python
+    about:
+      homepage: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.urls.Homepage }}
+      license: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.license }}
+      summary: cuOpt VRP / TSP / PDP routing engine
+
+  # The server is the one artifact that needs every engine, and it is a separately-run
+  # service with its own lifecycle, so it ships on its own rather than forcing every
+  # library user to install a daemon.
+  - package:
+      name: cuopt-grpc-server
+      version: ${{ version }}
+    build:
+      script:
+        content: |
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component grpc-server
+      dynamic_linking:
+        overlinking_behavior: "error"
+      string: cuda${{ cuda_major }}_${{ datetime_string }}_${{ head_rev }}
+    requirements:
+      build:
+        - cmake ${{ cmake_version }}
+        - ${{ stdlib("c") }}
+      host:
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-mathopt", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-routing", exact=True) }}
+        - cuda-version =${{ cuda_version }}
+      run:
+        - ${{ pin_compatible("cuda-version", upper_bound="x", lower_bound="x") }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-mathopt", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-routing", exact=True) }}
+      ignore_run_exports:
+        by_name:
+          - cuda-nvtx
+          - cuda-version
+          - libboost
+          - libboost_iostreams
+          - libcudss
+          - libcusparse
+          - librmm
+    tests:
+      - package_contents:
+          files:
             - bin/cuopt_grpc_server
+      # --help exits without binding a port, so this only proves the binary starts:
+      # it resolves all three component libraries from its own dependencies.
+      - script: |
+          cuopt_grpc_server --help
+    about:
+      homepage: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.urls.Homepage }}
+      license: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.license }}
+      summary: cuOpt gRPC remote solve server
+
+  # Keeps `conda install libcuopt` working for anyone who wants the whole library, and
+  # carries libcuopt.so -- the ld script names all three components, so it is only
+  # resolvable where all three are installed.
+  - package:
+      name: libcuopt
+      version: ${{ version }}
+    build:
+      script:
+        content: |
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component dev
+          # rapids_export puts cuopt-config.cmake and the export set in a component named
+          # after the project, so find_package(cuopt) breaks without this.
+          cmake --install cpp/build --component cuopt
+      string: cuda${{ cuda_major }}_${{ datetime_string }}_${{ head_rev }}
+    requirements:
+      build:
+        - cmake ${{ cmake_version }}
+      host:
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-mathopt", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-routing", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("cuopt-grpc-server", exact=True) }}
+      run:
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-mathopt", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-routing", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("cuopt-grpc-server", exact=True) }}
+      ignore_run_exports:
+        # This output ships the linker script, the headers and the cmake config -- no
+        # compiled object, so it links nothing and the three components carry every
+        # real dependency. Left alone it would still inherit the whole build cache's
+        # run exports, including `cuda-version >=<built minor>`, which would pin
+        # `conda install libcuopt` to the CUDA minor version it was built against.
+        by_name:
+          - bzip2
+          - c-ares
+          - cuda-nvtx
+          - cuda-version
+          - libabseil
+          - libboost
+          - libboost_iostreams
+          - libcudss
+          - libcusparse
+          - libgrpc
+          - libnvjitlink
+          - libprotobuf
+          - libre2-11
+          - librmm
+          - libzlib
+          - nccl
+          - openssl
+          - re2
+          - tbb
+    tests:
+      - package_contents:
+          files:
+            - lib/libcuopt.so
     about:
       homepage: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.urls.Homepage }}
       license: ${{ load_from_file("python/cuopt/pyproject.toml").project.license }}
@@ -197,7 +438,13 @@ outputs:
         - cmake ${{ cmake_version }}
         - ${{ stdlib("c") }}
       host:
+        # libcuopt for the ld script that the tests linking -lcuopt need, and the three
+        # components explicitly: the test binaries link them directly, so relying on the
+        # metapackage's run deps to drag them in would be implicit.
         - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-client", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-mathopt", exact=True) }}
+        - ${{ pin_subpackage("libcuopt-routing", exact=True) }}
         - libboost-devel
         - libcublas
         - libcudss-dev >=0.7,<0.8
diff --git a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index e74ea9f26a..1e5b3f34e0 100644
--- a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1197,7 +1197,9 @@ set(CPACK_DEB_COMPONENT_INSTALL ON)
 
 # CPack silently drops any component missing from this list, which would leave the
 # runtime .deb empty now that nothing installs under `runtime`.
-set(CPACK_COMPONENTS_ALL runtime dev client mathopt client-dev mathopt-dev)
+# `cuopt` is rapids_export's own component, holding cuopt-config.cmake and the export
+# set. It is easy to miss because it is named after the project rather than a library.
+set(CPACK_COMPONENTS_ALL runtime dev cuopt client mathopt client-dev mathopt-dev)
 if(NOT SKIP_ROUTING_BUILD)
     list(APPEND CPACK_COMPONENTS_ALL routing routing-dev)
 endif()
@@ -1605,7 +1607,7 @@ foreach(_runtime_component client mathopt routing grpc-server)
     string(TOUPPER "${_runtime_component}" _uc)
     set(CPACK_COMPONENT_${_uc}_GROUP "Runtime")
 endforeach()
-foreach(_dev_component client-dev mathopt-dev routing-dev)
+foreach(_dev_component client-dev mathopt-dev routing-dev cuopt)
     string(TOUPPER "${_dev_component}" _uc)
     set(CPACK_COMPONENT_${_uc}_GROUP "Development")
 endforeach()
diff --git a/dependencies.yaml b/dependencies.yaml
index 1995027c58..d02e93fe7f 100644
--- a/dependencies.yaml
+++ b/dependencies.yaml
@@ -37,6 +37,30 @@ files:
       - depends_on_rapids_logger
       - depends_on_rmm
       - rapids_build_backend
+  # Installs libcuopt-client alone. A component that quietly needs another
+  # engine fails to resolve or to load here, where every other test environment
+  # pulls the whole graph through the libcuopt metapackage and hides it.
+  test_libcuopt_client:
+    output: none
+    includes:
+      - cuda_version
+      - depends_on_libcuopt_client
+  # Installs libcuopt-mathopt alone. A component that quietly needs another
+  # engine fails to resolve or to load here, where every other test environment
+  # pulls the whole graph through the libcuopt metapackage and hides it.
+  test_libcuopt_mathopt:
+    output: none
+    includes:
+      - cuda_version
+      - depends_on_libcuopt_mathopt
+  # Installs libcuopt-routing alone. A component that quietly needs another
+  # engine fails to resolve or to load here, where every other test environment
+  # pulls the whole graph through the libcuopt metapackage and hides it.
+  test_libcuopt_routing:
+    output: none
+    includes:
+      - cuda_version
+      - depends_on_libcuopt_routing
   test_cpp:
     output: none
     includes:
@@ -435,6 +459,87 @@ dependencies:
       - output_types: [requirements, pyproject]
         packages:
           - cuopt-cu13==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+  depends_on_libcuopt_client:
+    common:
+      - output_types: conda
+        packages:
+          - &libcuopt_client_unsuffixed libcuopt-client==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+      - output_types: requirements
+        packages:
+          # pip recognizes the index as a global option for the requirements.txt file
+          - --extra-index-url=https://pypi.nvidia.com
+          - --extra-index-url=https://pypi.anaconda.org/rapidsai-wheels-nightly/simple
+    specific:
+      - output_types: [requirements, pyproject]
+        matrices:
+          - matrix:
+              cuda: "12.*"
+              cuda_suffixed: "true"
+            packages:
+              - libcuopt-client-cu12==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+          - matrix:
+              cuda: "13.*"
+              cuda_suffixed: "true"
+            packages:
+              - libcuopt-client-cu13==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+          - matrix:
+              cuda_suffixed: "false"
+            packages:
+              - *libcuopt_client_unsuffixed
+  depends_on_libcuopt_mathopt:
+    common:
+      - output_types: conda
+        packages:
+          - &libcuopt_mathopt_unsuffixed libcuopt-mathopt==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+      - output_types: requirements
+        packages:
+          # pip recognizes the index as a global option for the requirements.txt file
+          - --extra-index-url=https://pypi.nvidia.com
+          - --extra-index-url=https://pypi.anaconda.org/rapidsai-wheels-nightly/simple
+    specific:
+      - output_types: [requirements, pyproject]
+        matrices:
+          - matrix:
+              cuda: "12.*"
+              cuda_suffixed: "true"
+            packages:
+              - libcuopt-mathopt-cu12==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+          - matrix:
+              cuda: "13.*"
+              cuda_suffixed: "true"
+            packages:
+              - libcuopt-mathopt-cu13==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+          - matrix:
+              cuda_suffixed: "false"
+            packages:
+              - *libcuopt_mathopt_unsuffixed
+  depends_on_libcuopt_routing:
+    common:
+      - output_types: conda
+        packages:
+          - &libcuopt_routing_unsuffixed libcuopt-routing==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+      - output_types: requirements
+        packages:
+          # pip recognizes the index as a global option for the requirements.txt file
+          - --extra-index-url=https://pypi.nvidia.com
+          - --extra-index-url=https://pypi.anaconda.org/rapidsai-wheels-nightly/simple
+    specific:
+      - output_types: [requirements, pyproject]
+        matrices:
+          - matrix:
+              cuda: "12.*"
+              cuda_suffixed: "true"
+            packages:
+              - libcuopt-routing-cu12==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+          - matrix:
+              cuda: "13.*"
+              cuda_suffixed: "true"
+            packages:
+              - libcuopt-routing-cu13==26.10.*,>=0.0.0a0
+          - matrix:
+              cuda_suffixed: "false"
+            packages:
+              - *libcuopt_routing_unsuffixed
   depends_on_libcuopt:
     common:
       - output_types: conda