diff --git a/docs/project/changelog.md b/docs/project/changelog.md
index 79af07498..35e351461 100644
--- a/docs/project/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/project/changelog.md
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ myst:
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- {{ Enhancement }} `runPython` and `runPythonAsync` now accept a `locals`
+  argument.
+  {pr}`3618`
+
 - {{ Fix }} If the `locals` argument to `eval_code` or `eval_code_async` is
   `None` it now uses `locals=globals` as the documentation says.
   {pr}`3580`
diff --git a/docs/usage/faq.md b/docs/usage/faq.md
index 208e7e861..41f48f555 100644
--- a/docs/usage/faq.md
+++ b/docs/usage/faq.md
@@ -366,10 +366,10 @@ To make your own version of {js:func}`~pyodide.runPython` you could do:
 ```pyodide
 const my_eval_code = pyodide.runPython(`
   from pyodide.code import eval_code
-  def my_eval_code(code, ns):
+  def my_eval_code(code, globals=None, locals=None):
     extra_info = None
-    result = eval_code(code, ns)
-    return ns["extra_info"], result
+    result = eval_code(code, globals, locals)
+    return globals["extra_info"], result
   my_eval_code
 `)
 
diff --git a/src/js/api.ts b/src/js/api.ts
index 3f072b4bd..0a9f7ba9a 100644
--- a/src/js/api.ts
+++ b/src/js/api.ts
@@ -64,17 +64,19 @@ API.runPythonInternal = function (code: string): any {
  * @param options
  * @param options.globals An optional Python dictionary to use as the globals.
  *        Defaults to :js:attr:`pyodide.globals`.
+ * @param options.locals An optional Python dictionary to use as the locals.
+ *        Defaults to the same as ``globals``.
  * @returns The result of the Python code translated to JavaScript. See the
  *          documentation for :py:func:`~pyodide.code.eval_code` for more info.
  */
 export function runPython(
   code: string,
-  options: { globals?: PyProxy } = {},
+  options: { globals?: PyProxy; locals?: PyProxy } = {},
 ): any {
   if (!options.globals) {
     options.globals = API.globals;
   }
-  return API.pyodide_code.eval_code(code, options.globals);
+  return API.pyodide_code.eval_code(code, options.globals, options.locals);
 }
 API.runPython = runPython;
 
@@ -182,17 +184,23 @@ export async function loadPackagesFromImports(
  * @param options
  * @param options.globals An optional Python dictionary to use as the globals.
  * Defaults to :js:attr:`pyodide.globals`.
+ * @param options.locals An optional Python dictionary to use as the locals.
+ *        Defaults to the same as ``globals``.
  * @returns The result of the Python code translated to JavaScript.
  * @async
  */
 export async function runPythonAsync(
   code: string,
-  options: { globals?: PyProxy } = {},
+  options: { globals?: PyProxy; locals?: PyProxy } = {},
 ): Promise<any> {
   if (!options.globals) {
     options.globals = API.globals;
   }
-  return await API.pyodide_code.eval_code_async(code, options.globals);
+  return await API.pyodide_code.eval_code_async(
+    code,
+    options.globals,
+    options.locals,
+  );
 }
 API.runPythonAsync = runPythonAsync;
 
diff --git a/src/tests/test_pyodide.py b/src/tests/test_pyodide.py
index f10962e5f..4c5541bb9 100644
--- a/src/tests/test_pyodide.py
+++ b/src/tests/test_pyodide.py
@@ -302,8 +302,8 @@ def test_monkeypatch_eval_code(selenium):
             import pyodide
             old_eval_code = pyodide.code.eval_code
             x = 3
-            def eval_code(code, ns):
-                return [ns["x"], old_eval_code(code, ns)]
+            def eval_code(code, globals=None, locals=None):
+                return [globals["x"], old_eval_code(code, globals, locals)]
             pyodide.code.eval_code = eval_code
             """
         )
@@ -584,6 +584,26 @@ def test_run_python_js_error(selenium):
     )
 
 
+def test_run_python_locals(selenium):
+    selenium.run_js(
+        """
+        let dict = pyodide.globals.get("dict");
+        let locals = dict([["x", 7]]);
+        let globals = dict([["x", 5], ["y", 29]]);
+        dict.destroy();
+        let result = pyodide.runPython("z = 13; x + y", {locals, globals});
+        assert(() => locals.get("z") === 13);
+        assert(() => locals.has("x"));
+        let result2 = pyodide.runPython("del x; x + y", {locals, globals});
+        assert(() => !locals.has("x"));
+        assert(() => result === 7 + 29);
+        assert(() => result2 === 5 + 29);
+        locals.destroy();
+        globals.destroy();
+        """
+    )
+
+
 def test_create_once_callable(selenium):
     selenium.run_js(
         """