diff --git a/gpt4all-bindings/python/gpt4all/_pyllmodel.py b/gpt4all-bindings/python/gpt4all/_pyllmodel.py
index 0beae6630eea..fa879cde15e7 100644
--- a/gpt4all-bindings/python/gpt4all/_pyllmodel.py
+++ b/gpt4all-bindings/python/gpt4all/_pyllmodel.py
@@ -28,6 +28,27 @@
 EmbeddingsType = TypeVar('EmbeddingsType', bound='list[Any]')
 
 
+# Find CUDA libraries from the official packages
+cuda_found = False
+if platform.system() in ('Linux', 'Windows'):
+    try:
+        from nvidia import cuda_runtime, cublas
+    except ImportError:
+        pass  # CUDA is optional
+    else:
+        if platform.system() == 'Linux':
+            cudalib   = 'lib/libcudart.so.12'
+            cublaslib = 'lib/libcublas.so.12'
+        else:  # Windows
+            cudalib   = r'bin\cudart64_12.dll'
+            cublaslib = r'bin\cublas64_12.dll'
+
+        # preload the CUDA libs so the backend can find them
+        ctypes.CDLL(os.path.join(cuda_runtime.__path__[0], cudalib), mode=ctypes.RTLD_GLOBAL)
+        ctypes.CDLL(os.path.join(cublas.__path__[0], cublaslib), mode=ctypes.RTLD_GLOBAL)
+        cuda_found = True
+
+
 # TODO: provide a config file to make this more robust
 MODEL_LIB_PATH = importlib_resources.files("gpt4all") / "llmodel_DO_NOT_MODIFY" / "build"
 
@@ -218,7 +239,16 @@ def __init__(self, model_path: str, n_ctx: int, ngl: int, backend: str):
         model = llmodel.llmodel_model_create2(self.model_path, backend.encode(), ctypes.byref(err))
         if model is None:
             s = err.value
-            raise RuntimeError(f"Unable to instantiate model: {'null' if s is None else s.decode()}")
+            errmsg = 'null' if s is None else s.decode()
+
+            if (
+                backend == 'cuda'
+                and not cuda_found
+                and errmsg.startswith('Could not find any implementations for backend')
+            ):
+                print('WARNING: CUDA runtime libraries not found. Try `pip install "gpt4all[cuda]"`\n', file=sys.stderr)
+
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Unable to instantiate model: {errmsg}")
         self.model: ctypes.c_void_p | None = model
 
     def __del__(self, llmodel=llmodel):
diff --git a/gpt4all-bindings/python/setup.py b/gpt4all-bindings/python/setup.py
index 19e9d4bf9e9f..3aab696d152c 100644
--- a/gpt4all-bindings/python/setup.py
+++ b/gpt4all-bindings/python/setup.py
@@ -93,7 +93,15 @@ def get_long_description():
         'typing-extensions>=4.3.0; python_version >= "3.9" and python_version < "3.11"',
     ],
     extras_require={
+        'cuda': [
+            'nvidia-cuda-runtime-cu12',
+            'nvidia-cublas-cu12',
+        ],
+        'all': [
+            'gpt4all[cuda]; platform_system == "Windows" or platform_system == "Linux"',
+        ],
         'dev': [
+            'gpt4all[all]',
             'pytest',
             'twine',
             'wheel',