diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yml b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
index f26fff687..e9e858646 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ jobs:
         run: make BUILDTAGS=""
       - name: compile with runc_nocriu build tag
         run: make RUNC_BUILDTAGS="runc_nocriu"
+      - name: verify linker dead code elimination is not disabled
+        run: make verify-dce
 
   codespell:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index db1cd1924..82ce8f6f3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - Switched to opencontainers/cgroups v0.1.0, which no longer uses the
   high-level cilium/ebpf API to manage cgroup v2 device rules. As a result,
   the runc binary shrunk by about 1 MiB (7.5%) on amd64. (#5403)
+- The runc binary is now built with the `urfave_cli_no_template` build tag,
+  which, together with removing the reflect-based logging of CRIU options,
+  re-enables the linker's dead code elimination of exported methods. As a
+  result, the runc binary shrunk by about 2 MB (15%) on amd64. (#5486, #5506)
 - The `cpuAffinity` and NUMA `memoryPolicy` settings are no longer limited
   to 1024 CPUs/nodes, as runc now uses a dynamically-sized CPU mask. (#5343)
 - A container configuration which asks for a read-only rootfs
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4b3c47d48..d293fd44e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ ifneq (,$(filter $(GOARCH),386 amd64 arm arm64 loong64 ppc64le riscv64 s390x))
 	endif
 endif
 GO_BUILD := $(GO) build $(TRIMPATH) $(GO_BUILDMODE) \
-	$(EXTRA_FLAGS) -tags "$(BUILDTAGS)" \
+	$(EXTRA_FLAGS) -tags "$(BUILDTAGS) urfave_cli_no_template" \
 	-ldflags "$(LDFLAGS_COMMON) $(EXTRA_LDFLAGS)"
 
 GO_BUILDMODE_STATIC :=
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ ifneq (,$(filter $(GOARCH),arm64 amd64))
 endif
 # Enable static PIE binaries on supported platforms.
 GO_BUILD_STATIC := $(GO) build $(TRIMPATH) $(GO_BUILDMODE_STATIC) \
-	$(EXTRA_FLAGS) -tags "$(BUILDTAGS) netgo osusergo" \
+	$(EXTRA_FLAGS) -tags "$(BUILDTAGS) urfave_cli_no_template netgo osusergo" \
 	-ldflags "$(LDFLAGS_COMMON) $(LDFLAGS_STATIC) $(EXTRA_LDFLAGS)"
 
 GPG_KEYID ?= cyphar@cyphar.com
@@ -249,6 +249,20 @@ verify-dependencies: vendor
 		|| (echo -e "git status:\n $$(git status -- go.mod go.sum vendor/)\nerror: vendor/, go.mod and/or go.sum not up to date. Run \"make vendor\" to update"; exit 1) \
 		&& echo "all vendor files are up to date."
 
+# Check that nothing disables the linker's dead code elimination of
+# exported methods, which noticeably increases the binary size. This is
+# caused by calling reflect.Value.Method or reflect.Value.MethodByName
+# with a non-constant argument, including indirectly (e.g. text/template).
+# The check itself is verified using tests/dce-canary, which disables DCE.
+.PHONY: verify-dce
+verify-dce:
+	$(GO) build -o /dev/null -ldflags=-dumpdep ./tests/dce-canary 2>&1 \
+		| grep -q '<ReflectMethod>' \
+		|| { echo "error: verify-dce self-check failed (tests/dce-canary not detected)"; exit 1; }
+	set -o pipefail; $(GO_BUILD) -o /dev/null -ldflags=-dumpdep . 2>&1 \
+		| { ! grep -q '<ReflectMethod>' \
+		|| { echo "error: linker dead code elimination is disabled; use github.com/aarzilli/whydeadcode to find out why"; exit 1; }; }
+
 .PHONY: validate-keyring
 validate-keyring:
 	script/keyring_validate.sh
diff --git a/tests/dce-canary/main.go b/tests/dce-canary/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..407d8c052
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dce-canary/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// dce-canary is a positive control for "make verify-dce". It calls
+// reflect.Value.MethodByName with a non-constant argument, which makes
+// the linker disable dead code elimination of exported methods, so
+// "verify-dce" must detect it. If it does not, the check is broken.
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"reflect"
+)
+
+type t struct{}
+
+func (t) Foo() {}
+
+func main() {
+	reflect.ValueOf(t{}).MethodByName(os.Args[0])
+}