diff --git a/src/broker/broker.c b/src/broker/broker.c
index b8601037edcf..19872f336b3a 100644
--- a/src/broker/broker.c
+++ b/src/broker/broker.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 #include "src/common/libutil/errno_safe.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errprintf.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/intree.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "src/common/librouter/subhash.h"
 #include "src/common/libfluxutil/method.h"
 #include "ccan/array_size/array_size.h"
@@ -689,8 +690,7 @@ static bool is_interactive_shell (const char *argz, size_t argz_len)
         char *shell;
         char *cmd = argz_next (argz, argz_len, NULL);
         while ((shell = getusershell ())) {
-            if (streq (cmd, shell)
-                || streq (cmd, basename (shell))) {
+            if (streq (cmd, shell) || streq (cmd, basename_simple (shell))) {
                 result = true;
                 break;
             }
diff --git a/src/broker/module.c b/src/broker/module.c
index e86b2b3efcde..4bca2a8b8614 100644
--- a/src/broker/module.c
+++ b/src/broker/module.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "src/common/libutil/log.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errprintf.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errno_safe.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "src/common/librouter/subhash.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 
@@ -289,23 +290,16 @@ static void module_cb (flux_reactor_t *r,
         p->poller_cb (p, p->poller_arg);
 }
 
-static char *module_name_from_path (const char *s)
+static char *module_name_from_path (const char *path)
 {
-    char *path, *name, *cpy;
+    char *name;
     char *cp;
 
-    if (!(path = strdup (s))
-        || !(name = basename (path)))
-        goto error;
+    name = basename_simple (path);
+    // if path ends in .so or .so.VERSION, strip it off
     if ((cp = strstr (name, ".so")))
-        *cp = '\0';
-    if (!(cpy = strdup (name)))
-        goto error;
-    free (path);
-    return cpy;
-error:
-    ERRNO_SAFE_WRAP (free, path);
-    return NULL;
+        return strndup (name, cp - name);
+    return strdup (name);
 }
 
 module_t *module_create (flux_t *h,
diff --git a/src/cmd/flux-exec.c b/src/cmd/flux-exec.c
index 5135b11aaa7b..0507b1e1f5fb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/flux-exec.c
+++ b/src/cmd/flux-exec.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "src/common/libidset/idset.h"
 #include "src/common/libeventlog/eventlog.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/log.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "src/common/libsubprocess/fbuf.h"
 #include "src/common/libsubprocess/fbuf_watcher.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
@@ -450,7 +451,7 @@ static bool check_for_imp_run (int argc, char *argv[], const char **ppath)
     /* If argv0 basename is flux-imp, then we'll likely have to use
      *  flux-imp kill to signal the resulting subprocesses
      */
-    if (streq (basename (argv[0]), "flux-imp")) {
+    if (streq (basename_simple (argv[0]), "flux-imp")) {
         *ppath = argv[0];
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/src/cmd/job/mpir.c b/src/cmd/job/mpir.c
index e5d719fdc341..02f8ae88a534 100644
--- a/src/cmd/job/mpir.c
+++ b/src/cmd/job/mpir.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <flux/optparse.h>
 
 #include "src/common/libutil/log.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "src/common/libjob/idf58.h"
 #include "src/common/libdebugged/debugged.h"
 #include "src/shell/mpir/proctable.h"
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ static void completion_cb (flux_subprocess_t *p)
     int rank = flux_subprocess_rank (p);
     int exitcode = flux_subprocess_exit_code (p);
     int signum = flux_subprocess_signaled (p);
-    const char *prog = basename (MPIR_executable_path);
+    const char *prog = basename_simple (MPIR_executable_path);
 
     if (signum > 0)
         log_msg ("MPIR: rank %d: %s: %s", rank, prog, strsignal (signum));
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ static void output_cb (flux_subprocess_t *p, const char *stream)
 {
     const char *line;
     int len = 0;
-    const char *prog = basename (MPIR_executable_path);
+    const char *prog = basename_simple (MPIR_executable_path);
     int rank = flux_subprocess_rank (p);
 
     len = flux_subprocess_read_trimmed_line (p, stream, &line);
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ static void output_cb (flux_subprocess_t *p, const char *stream)
 static void state_cb (flux_subprocess_t *p, flux_subprocess_state_t state)
 {
     if (state == FLUX_SUBPROCESS_FAILED) {
-        const char *prog = basename (MPIR_executable_path);
+        const char *prog = basename_simple (MPIR_executable_path);
         int rank = flux_subprocess_rank (p);
         const char *errmsg = flux_subprocess_fail_error (p);
         log_msg ("MPIR: rank %d: %s: %s", rank, prog, errmsg);
diff --git a/src/common/libsdexec/unit.c b/src/common/libsdexec/unit.c
index 58f741540b4b..9ee6b204b6c3 100644
--- a/src/common/libsdexec/unit.c
+++ b/src/common/libsdexec/unit.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "src/common/libmissing/macros.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errprintf.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/aux.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 #include "ccan/array_size/array_size.h"
 
@@ -75,12 +76,8 @@ int sdexec_unit_aux_set (struct unit *unit,
 
 const char *sdexec_unit_name (struct unit *unit)
 {
-    if (unit) {
-        const char *cp;
-        if ((cp = strrchr (unit->path, '/')))
-            return cp + 1;
-        return unit->path;
-    }
+    if (unit)
+        return basename_simple (unit->path);
     return "internal error: unit is null";
 }
 
diff --git a/src/common/libtomlc99/Makefile.am b/src/common/libtomlc99/Makefile.am
index 8fe620c1f0e2..a589ad6cd0d3 100644
--- a/src/common/libtomlc99/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/common/libtomlc99/Makefile.am
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ test_cppflags = \
 
 test_ldadd = \
 	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libtomlc99/libtomlc99.la \
-	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libtap/libtap.la
+	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libtap/libtap.la \
+	$(top_builddir)/src/common/libutil/libutil.la
 
 toml_cat_SOURCES = toml_cat.c
 toml_cat_LDADD = $(test_ldadd)
diff --git a/src/common/libtomlc99/test/toml.c b/src/common/libtomlc99/test/toml.c
index 0b6a9d6f7909..638138d4fc65 100644
--- a/src/common/libtomlc99/test/toml.c
+++ b/src/common/libtomlc99/test/toml.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <locale.h>
 
 #include "src/common/libtap/tap.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "toml.h"
 
 #define EX1 "\
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ void parse_bad_input (void)
 
     for (i = 0; i < results.gl_pathc; i++) {
         char errbuf[255];
-        char *name = basename (results.gl_pathv[i]);
+        char *name = basename_simple (results.gl_pathv[i]);
         const char *reason;
         bool blocklist = matchtab (name, bad_input_blocklist, &reason);
 
@@ -299,7 +300,7 @@ void parse_good_input (void)
     for (i = 0; i < results.gl_pathc; i++) {
         char errbuf[255];
         ok (parse_good_file (results.gl_pathv[i], errbuf, 255) == true,
-            "%s: %s", basename (results.gl_pathv[i]), errbuf);
+            "%s: %s", basename_simple (results.gl_pathv[i]), errbuf);
     }
     globfree (&results);
 }
diff --git a/src/common/libutil/Makefile.am b/src/common/libutil/Makefile.am
index c06b71112d7e..b9c993995258 100644
--- a/src/common/libutil/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/common/libutil/Makefile.am
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ libutil_la_SOURCES = \
 	sigutil.c \
 	parse_size.h \
 	parse_size.c \
+	basename.h \
+	basename.c \
 	ansi_color.h
 
 TESTS = test_sha1.t \
diff --git a/src/common/libutil/basename.c b/src/common/libutil/basename.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bdd90654c206
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/libutil/basename.c
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/************************************************************\
+ * Copyright 2016 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
+ * (c.f. AUTHORS, NOTICE.LLNS, COPYING)
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Flux resource manager framework.
+ * For details, see https://github.com/flux-framework.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0
+\************************************************************/
+
+#if HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "basename.h"
+
+/* This is what glibc basename(3) does more or less.
+ * https://github.com/lattera/glibc/blob/master/string/basename.c
+ */
+
+char *basename_simple (const char *path)
+{
+    char *p = strrchr (path, '/');
+    return p ? p + 1 : (char *)path;
+}
+
+// vi:ts=4 sw=4 expandtab
diff --git a/src/common/libutil/basename.h b/src/common/libutil/basename.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..315be034c85d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/libutil/basename.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/************************************************************\
+ * Copyright 2024 Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
+ * (c.f. AUTHORS, NOTICE.LLNS, COPYING)
+ *
+ * This file is part of the Flux resource manager framework.
+ * For details, see https://github.com/flux-framework.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0
+\************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef _UTIL_BASENAME_H
+#define _UTIL_BASENAME_H
+
+char *basename_simple (const char *path);
+
+#endif /* !_UTIL_BASENAME_H */
+
+// vi:ts=4 sw=4 expandtab
diff --git a/src/common/libutil/dirwalk.c b/src/common/libutil/dirwalk.c
index 2b1b3dea158b..0a5b8a13c216 100644
--- a/src/common/libutil/dirwalk.c
+++ b/src/common/libutil/dirwalk.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "src/common/libczmqcontainers/czmq_containers.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 
+#include "basename.h"
 #include "dirwalk.h"
 
 struct direntry {
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ const char * dirwalk_name (dirwalk_t *d)
     if (!d->current)
         return NULL;
     if (!d->current->basename)
-        d->current->basename = basename (d->current->path);
+        d->current->basename = basename_simple (d->current->path);
     return d->current->basename;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/common/libutil/log.c b/src/common/libutil/log.c
index 103b56e0a729..d31415f96304 100644
--- a/src/common/libutil/log.c
+++ b/src/common/libutil/log.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 
+#include "basename.h"
 #include "log.h"
 
 extern char *__progname;
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ log_init (char *p)
     if (!p)
         prog = __progname;
     else
-        prog = basename (p);
+        prog = basename_simple (p);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/common/libutil/test/dirwalk.c b/src/common/libutil/test/dirwalk.c
index afa25323066c..9e214e705a2a 100644
--- a/src/common/libutil/test/dirwalk.c
+++ b/src/common/libutil/test/dirwalk.c
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 #include "src/common/libtap/tap.h"
 #include "src/common/libczmqcontainers/czmq_containers.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
-#include "src/common/libutil/dirwalk.h"
+#include "basename.h"
+#include "dirwalk.h"
 
 static int makepath (const char *fmt, ...)
 {
@@ -268,7 +269,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     l = dirwalk_find (tmp, 0, "foo", 1, NULL, 0);
     ok (l != NULL, "dirwalk_find");
     ok (l && zlist_size (l) == 1, "dirwalk_find stopped at 1 result");
-    ok (streq (basename (zlist_first (l)), "foo"),
+    ok (streq (basename_simple (zlist_first (l)), "foo"),
         "breadth-first search got expected match");
     zlist_destroy (&l);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/job-exec/exec.c b/src/modules/job-exec/exec.c
index 149716027c72..d1a058754c8a 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-exec/exec.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-exec/exec.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 #include "src/common/libjob/idf58.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errprintf.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errno_safe.h"
 #include "src/common/libsubprocess/bulk-exec.h"
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ static void output_cb (struct bulk_exec *exec,
     }
     jobinfo_log_output (job,
                         flux_subprocess_rank (p),
-                        basename (cmd),
+                        basename_simple (cmd),
                         stream,
                         data,
                         len);
diff --git a/src/modules/job-ingest/worker.c b/src/modules/job-ingest/worker.c
index 44c09403e82b..b394fa8287b9 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-ingest/worker.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-ingest/worker.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include <flux/core.h>
 
 #include "src/common/libczmqcontainers/czmq_containers.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 
 #include "worker.h"
@@ -500,7 +501,7 @@ struct worker *worker_create (flux_t *h, double inactivity_timeout,
         goto error;
     if (!(w->trash = zlist_new()))
         goto error;
-    if (!(w->name = strdup (basename (name))))
+    if (!(w->name = strdup (basename_simple (name))))
         goto error;
     if (!(w->queue = zlist_new ()))
         goto error;
diff --git a/src/modules/job-manager/jobtap.c b/src/modules/job-manager/jobtap.c
index 7f9b45078b68..887b81e4b4cc 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-manager/jobtap.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-manager/jobtap.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include "src/common/libczmqcontainers/czmq_containers.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/iterators.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errno_safe.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errprintf.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/aux.h"
@@ -1377,7 +1378,7 @@ static int plugin_try_load (struct jobtap *jobtap,
         return errprintf (errp,
                           "%s",
                           flux_plugin_strerror (p));
-    if (!(name = strdup (basename (fullpath)))
+    if (!(name = strdup (basename_simple (fullpath)))
         || flux_plugin_aux_set (p, "jobtap::basename", name, free) < 0) {
         ERRNO_SAFE_WRAP (free, name);
         return errprintf (errp,
diff --git a/src/shell/batch.c b/src/shell/batch.c
index 21e9b79bc1ad..7d496955b651 100644
--- a/src/shell/batch.c
+++ b/src/shell/batch.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <flux/shell.h>
 
 #include "src/common/libutil/read_all.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 
 #include "builtins.h"
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ static bool is_batch_command (flux_cmd_t *cmd)
     const char *argv1 = flux_cmd_arg (cmd, 1);
 
     return  (argv0
-             && streq (basename (argv0), "flux")
+             && streq (basename_simple (argv0), "flux")
              && (streq (argv1, "broker") || streq (argv1, "start")));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/shell/doom.c b/src/shell/doom.c
index 564e48943aa0..acec67abfbd1 100644
--- a/src/shell/doom.c
+++ b/src/shell/doom.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 #include "src/common/libeventlog/eventlog.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/fsd.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 
 #include "builtins.h"
 #include "internal.h"
@@ -100,9 +101,7 @@ static const char *doom_exit_host (struct shell_doom *doom)
 static const char *get_jobspec_command_arg0 (struct shell_doom *doom)
 {
     json_t *s = json_array_get (doom->shell->info->jobspec->command, 0);
-    const char *path = json_string_value (s);
-    const char *p = strrchr (path, '/');
-    return p ? p + 1 : path;
+    return basename_simple (json_string_value (s));
 }
 
 static void doom_check (struct shell_doom *doom,
diff --git a/src/shell/shell.c b/src/shell/shell.c
index fcdf4ef8d864..887a732b2e0d 100644
--- a/src/shell/shell.c
+++ b/src/shell/shell.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "src/common/libutil/log.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/errno_safe.h"
 #include "src/common/libutil/fdutils.h"
+#include "src/common/libutil/basename.h"
 #include "src/common/libtaskmap/taskmap_private.h"
 #include "ccan/str/str.h"
 
@@ -1051,7 +1052,7 @@ static int mustache_render_name (flux_shell_t *shell,
         json_t *cmd = json_array_get (shell->info->jobspec->command, 0);
         if (!cmd
             || !(jobname = json_string_value (cmd))
-            || !(jobname = basename (jobname)))
+            || !(jobname = basename_simple (jobname)))
             jobname = "unknown";
     }
     if (fputs (jobname, fp) == EOF) {