diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 754925a4..a0586190 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         boost:
+          # Used by RMS 12.1 / Python 3.8 and later
+          - "1.74.0"
+          # newer versions of macOS (11+) / XCode (14+) have issues compiling Boost older than
           - "1.76.0"
-          # Used by RMS 14.2 / Python 11 and later
+          # Used by RMS 14.2 / Python 3.11 and later
           - "1.81.0"
 
     steps:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 16993737..8629acad 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ If you want to run with a predefined start seed, call `grf.seed(seed_value)` bef
 ## Building
 We use [`scikit-build-core`](https://scikit-build-core.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html) as the build tool, in order to use [`pyproject.toml`](https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/reference/build-system/pyproject-toml/) to facilitate easier building while using [`cmake`](https://cmake.org) to build the C++ extension.
 
-We also use [Boost.Python](https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_81_0/libs/python/doc/html/index.html) (version 1.76.0 for Python <=3.10 and 1.81.0 for newer versions).
+We also use [Boost.Python](https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_81_0/libs/python/doc/html/index.html) (version 1.74.0 for Python <=3.9, 1.76.0 for Python <= 3.10, and 1.81.0 for newer versions).
 While compiling Boost, a python interpreter needs to be set.
 You may want to create a virtual environment before building `gaussianfft`.
 
diff --git a/bin/fetch-boost.sh b/bin/fetch-boost.sh
index 98cb322d..9f3dd228 100755
--- a/bin/fetch-boost.sh
+++ b/bin/fetch-boost.sh
@@ -163,6 +163,10 @@ extract_files_depending_on "boost/graph/adjacency_list.hpp"
 extract_files_depending_on "boost/graph/reverse_graph.hpp"
 # from libs/python/src/object/inheritance.cpp:17
 extract_files_depending_on "boost/tuple/tuple_comparison.hpp"
+# from ./boost/math/policies/policy.hpp:9 (in boost 1.74.0)
+extract_files_depending_on "boost/mpl/list/list20.hpp"
+extract_files_depending_on "boost/mpl/list/aux_/preprocessed/plain/list10.hpp"
+extract_files_depending_on "boost/mpl/list/aux_/preprocessed/plain/list20.hpp"
 
 ## Filesystem
 extract_files libs/filesystem/build
diff --git a/bin/find_boost_version.py b/bin/find_boost_version.py
index 53c112dd..d236d481 100755
--- a/bin/find_boost_version.py
+++ b/bin/find_boost_version.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
+import argparse
+import platform
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -6,9 +8,19 @@
 PYTHON_VERSION = sys.version_info
 
 KNOWN_MINIMUMS = [
+    {"python_version": (3, 6), "min_version": (1, 74, 0), "platform_system": "Linux"},
+    {"python_version": (3, 6), "min_version": (1, 76, 0), "platform_system": "Darwin"},
+    {"python_version": (3, 10), "min_version": (1, 76, 0), "platform_system": "Linux"},
     {"python_version": (3, 11), "min_version": (1, 81, 0)},
 ]
 
+# These are known to cause problems on newer versions of Python and/or some OS-es
+PROBLEMATIC_VERSIONS = [
+    # Seem to not support Python 3.10 and newer
+    # It is also problematic to compile on macOS
+    (1, 74, 0),
+]
+
 ROOT = Path(__file__).parent
 
 
@@ -23,19 +35,58 @@ def fixed_boost_version():
 
 
 def dynamic_boost_version():
-    version = (1, 76, 0)
+    version = (1, 74, 0)
     python_version = (PYTHON_VERSION.major, PYTHON_VERSION.minor)
     for constraint in KNOWN_MINIMUMS:
         if constraint["python_version"] <= python_version:
-            version = constraint["min_version"]
+            required_system = constraint.get("platform_system")
+            if required_system is None or required_system == platform.system():
+                version = constraint["min_version"]
     return version
 
 
+def parse_arguments():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        prog="find-relevant-boost-version",
+        description="Gives the appropriate version of Boost, based on gaussianfft's known run environments",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-s", "--sdist",
+        action="store_true",
+        required=False,
+        help="Toggles if the version of Boost should be appropriate for inclusion in the source distribution",
+    )
+    return parser.parse_args()
+
+
 def run():
+    args = parse_arguments()
+    if args.sdist:
+        version = boost_version_for_sdist()
+    else:
+        version = boost_version_for_wheel()
+    sys.stdout.write('.'.join(map(str, version)))
+
+
+def boost_version_for_sdist():
+    python_version = (float('inf'), float('inf'))
+    boost_version = (0, 0, 0)
+    for constraint in KNOWN_MINIMUMS:
+        if python_version > constraint["python_version"] and constraint["min_version"] not in PROBLEMATIC_VERSIONS:
+            python_version = constraint["python_version"]
+
+    for constraint in KNOWN_MINIMUMS:
+        if python_version == constraint["python_version"]:
+            if boost_version < constraint["min_version"]:
+                boost_version = constraint["min_version"]
+    return boost_version
+
+
+def boost_version_for_wheel():
     version = fixed_boost_version()
     if version is None:
         version = dynamic_boost_version()
-    sys.stdout.write('.'.join(map(str, version)))
+    return version
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/bin/prepare-sdist.sh b/bin/prepare-sdist.sh
index 1e87af68..87774476 100755
--- a/bin/prepare-sdist.sh
+++ b/bin/prepare-sdist.sh
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 readonly ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname -- "$0")/.." >/dev/null; pwd -P)"
+readonly PYTHON=${PYTHON:-python3}
 
 # Remove all, but the oldest supported version of boost
 # add that version to a file, which is read by `find_boost_version.py`
 
-readonly boost_version="$(ls "$ROOT_DIR/sources/boost/" | sort -h | head -1)"
+readonly boost_version="$("$PYTHON" "$ROOT_DIR/bin/find_boost_version.py" --sdist)"
 
 shopt -s extglob
 cd "$ROOT_DIR/sources/boost"
diff --git a/cmake/boost.cmake b/cmake/boost.cmake
index 0b41551a..b2664d5a 100644
--- a/cmake/boost.cmake
+++ b/cmake/boost.cmake
@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ set(BUILD_PYTHON_SUPPORT ON)
 set(Boost_LIBRARY_DIR ${Boost_DIR}/stage/lib)
 if (NOT EXISTS ${Boost_LIBRARY_DIR})
     message(STATUS "Compiling Boost")
+    if (APPLE AND ${BOOST_VERSION} STRLESS "1.76.0")
+        message(WARNING "There are known problems compiling Boost prior to 1.76.0 on newer versions of macOS")
+        # There is a problem with the C++11 check in tools/build/src/engine/build.sh
+        # for Boost 1.74.0 on macOS; the script does not add the necessary include directories for clang
+        # causing check_cxx11.cpp to fail by not finding <wchar.h>
+        # This is not a problem in Boost 1.76.0 and newer
+        set(ENV{NO_CXX11_CHECK} "1")
+    endif ()
     execute_process(COMMAND ${Boost_COMPILE_SCRIPT} ${BOOST_VERSION} COMMAND_ERROR_IS_FATAL ANY)
 else ()
     message(STATUS "Reusing compiled boost libraries at ${Boost_LIBRARY_DIR}")