diff --git a/mergin/merginproject.py b/mergin/merginproject.py
index 0cba78a..1f232fd 100644
--- a/mergin/merginproject.py
+++ b/mergin/merginproject.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import logging
 import math
 import os
+import platform
 import re
 import shutil
 from typing import List, Optional, Dict
@@ -87,8 +88,10 @@ def _logger_callback(level, text_bytes):
             else:
                 self.log.info("GEODIFF: " + text)
 
-        self.geodiff.set_logger_callback(_logger_callback)
-        self.geodiff.set_maximum_logger_level(pygeodiff.GeoDiff.LevelDebug)
+        # creating a ctypes callback hangs forever in the hardened QGIS build on Intel macOS
+        if not (platform.system() == "Darwin" and platform.machine() == "x86_64"):
+            self.geodiff.set_logger_callback(_logger_callback)
+            self.geodiff.set_maximum_logger_level(pygeodiff.GeoDiff.LevelDebug)
 
     def setup_logging(self, logger_name):
         """Setup logging into project directory's .mergin/client-log.txt file."""
diff --git a/mergin/test/test_mergin_project.py b/mergin/test/test_mergin_project.py
index 5fa2106..ee8ac34 100644
--- a/mergin/test/test_mergin_project.py
+++ b/mergin/test/test_mergin_project.py
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 import shutil
 import json
 import tempfile
+from types import SimpleNamespace
 import pytest
+from mergin import merginproject
 from mergin.merginproject import MerginProject
 from pygeodiff import GeoDiffLibError
 from mergin.common import DeltaChangeType, PullActionType, ClientError
@@ -497,3 +499,19 @@ def test_update_project_role():
 
         # the new role is on disk, not just in the in-memory cache
         assert MerginProject(project_dir).project_role() == "reader"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "system, machine, callback_set",
+    [("Darwin", "x86_64", False), ("Darwin", "arm64", True), ("Linux", "x86_64", True)],
+)
+def test_geodiff_logger_callback_platforms(monkeypatch, system, machine, callback_set):
+    """The geodiff logger callback is skipped on Intel macOS, where creating it hangs QGIS."""
+    callbacks = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(merginproject.pygeodiff.GeoDiff, "set_logger_callback", lambda self, cb: callbacks.append(cb))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(merginproject, "platform", SimpleNamespace(system=lambda: system, machine=lambda: machine))
+
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp_dir:
+        MerginProject(tmp_dir)
+
+    assert bool(callbacks) == callback_set