diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
index 230109327447..4c403ac43bd2 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ b/WORKSPACE
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ local_repository(
     path = "examples",
 )
 
+# Load common dependencies first to ensure we use the correct version.
+load("//:protobuf_deps.bzl", "PROTOBUF_MAVEN_ARTIFACTS", "protobuf_deps")
+protobuf_deps()
+
+
 http_archive(
     name = "com_google_googletest",
     sha256 = "833bfaf9f8f508a4ef4a35e25131112ed55bf9ff5c073e272397ff38eb4d90ec",
@@ -31,10 +36,6 @@ http_archive(
     urls = ["https://github.com/bazelbuild/platforms/archive/da5541f26b7de1dc8e04c075c99df5351742a4a2.zip"],  # 2022-05-27
 )
 
-# Load common dependencies.
-load("//:protobuf_deps.bzl", "PROTOBUF_MAVEN_ARTIFACTS", "protobuf_deps")
-protobuf_deps()
-
 load("@rules_jvm_external//:repositories.bzl", "rules_jvm_external_deps")
 
 rules_jvm_external_deps()
diff --git a/protobuf_deps.bzl b/protobuf_deps.bzl
index 4297b6c6cbfc..6ba6c12be6c6 100644
--- a/protobuf_deps.bzl
+++ b/protobuf_deps.bzl
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ def protobuf_deps():
         _github_archive(
             name = "com_google_absl",
             repo = "https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp",
-            commit = "78be63686ba732b25052be15f8d6dee891c05749",  # Abseil LTS 20230125
-            sha256 = "4f356a07b9ec06ef51f943928508566e992f621ed5fa4dd588865d7bed1284cd",
+            commit = "b971ac5250ea8de900eae9f95e06548d14cd95fe",  # Abseil LTS 20230125.2
+            sha256 = "f7c2cb2c5accdcbbbd5c0c59f241a988c0b1da2a3b7134b823c0bd613b1a6880",
         )
 
     if not native.existing_rule("zlib"):
diff --git a/python/internal.bzl b/python/internal.bzl
index d9ba37ef8621..af87aed78602 100644
--- a/python/internal.bzl
+++ b/python/internal.bzl
@@ -1,4 +1,12 @@
-# Internal helpers for building the Python protobuf runtime.
+"""
+Internal helpers for building the Python protobuf runtime.
+"""
+
+def _remove_cross_repo_path(path):
+    components = path.split("/")
+    if components[0] == "..":
+        return "/".join(components[2:])
+    return path
 
 def _internal_copy_files_impl(ctx):
     strip_prefix = ctx.attr.strip_prefix
@@ -7,10 +15,11 @@ def _internal_copy_files_impl(ctx):
 
     src_dests = []
     for src in ctx.files.srcs:
-        if src.short_path[:len(strip_prefix)] != strip_prefix:
+        short_path = _remove_cross_repo_path(src.short_path)
+        if short_path[:len(strip_prefix)] != strip_prefix:
             fail("Source does not start with %s: %s" %
-                 (strip_prefix, src.short_path))
-        dest = ctx.actions.declare_file(src.short_path[len(strip_prefix):])
+                 (strip_prefix, short_path))
+        dest = ctx.actions.declare_file(short_path[len(strip_prefix):])
         src_dests.append([src, dest])
 
     if ctx.attr.is_windows: