diff --git a/pyodide-build/pyodide_build/pywasmcross.py b/pyodide-build/pyodide_build/pywasmcross.py
index 0beae6915..7d9a224e6 100755
--- a/pyodide-build/pyodide_build/pywasmcross.py
+++ b/pyodide-build/pyodide_build/pywasmcross.py
@@ -12,33 +12,45 @@ import json
 import os
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path, PurePosixPath
+from typing import Any
 
-IS_MAIN = __name__ == "__main__"
-if IS_MAIN:
+from __main__ import __file__ as INVOKED_PATH_STR
+
+INVOKED_PATH = Path(INVOKED_PATH_STR)
+
+SYMLINKS = {"cc", "c++", "ld", "ar", "gcc", "gfortran", "cargo"}
+IS_COMPILER_INVOCATION = INVOKED_PATH.name in SYMLINKS
+
+if IS_COMPILER_INVOCATION:
     # If possible load from environment variable, if necessary load from disk.
     if "PYWASMCROSS_ARGS" in os.environ:
         PYWASMCROSS_ARGS = json.loads(os.environ["PYWASMCROSS_ARGS"])
-    else:
-        with open(Path(__file__).parent / "pywasmcross_env.json") as f:
+    try:
+        with open(INVOKED_PATH.parent / "pywasmcross_env.json") as f:
             PYWASMCROSS_ARGS = json.load(f)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            "Invalid invocation: can't find PYWASMCROSS_ARGS."
+            f" Invoked from {INVOKED_PATH}."
+        )
 
-    # restore __name__ so that relative imports work as we expect
-    __name__ = PYWASMCROSS_ARGS.pop("orig__name__")
     sys.path = PYWASMCROSS_ARGS.pop("PYTHONPATH")
     os.environ["PATH"] = PYWASMCROSS_ARGS.pop("PATH")
+    # restore __name__ so that relative imports work as we expect
+    __name__ = PYWASMCROSS_ARGS.pop("orig__name__")
+
 
 import re
+import shutil
 import subprocess
 from collections import namedtuple
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
-from typing import Any, Iterator, Literal, MutableMapping, NoReturn
+from typing import Iterator, Literal, MutableMapping, NoReturn
 
 from pyodide_build import common
 from pyodide_build._f2c_fixes import fix_f2c_input, fix_f2c_output, scipy_fixes
 
-symlinks = {"cc", "c++", "ld", "ar", "gcc", "gfortran", "cargo"}
-
 
 def symlink_dir() -> Path:
     return Path(common.get_make_flag("TOOLSDIR")) / "symlinks"
@@ -68,13 +80,17 @@ def make_command_wrapper_symlinks(
     exist.
     """
     exec_path = Path(__file__).resolve()
-    for symlink in symlinks:
+    for symlink in SYMLINKS:
         symlink_path = symlink_dir / symlink
         if os.path.lexists(symlink_path) and not symlink_path.exists():
             # remove broken symlink so it can be re-created
             symlink_path.unlink()
         try:
-            symlink_path.symlink_to(exec_path)
+            pywasmcross_exe = shutil.which("_pywasmcross")
+            if pywasmcross_exe:
+                symlink_path.symlink_to(pywasmcross_exe)
+            else:
+                symlink_path.symlink_to(exec_path)
         except FileExistsError:
             pass
         if symlink == "c++":
@@ -609,13 +625,13 @@ def environment_substitute_args(
     return subbed_args
 
 
-if IS_MAIN:
-    REPLAY_ARGS = ReplayArgs(**PYWASMCROSS_ARGS)
-
+def compiler_main():
+    replay_args = ReplayArgs(**PYWASMCROSS_ARGS)
     basename = Path(sys.argv[0]).name
     args = list(sys.argv)
     args[0] = basename
-    if basename in symlinks:
-        sys.exit(handle_command(args, REPLAY_ARGS))
-    else:
-        raise Exception(f"Unexpected invocation '{basename}'")
+    sys.exit(handle_command(args, replay_args))
+
+
+if IS_COMPILER_INVOCATION:
+    compiler_main()
diff --git a/pyodide-build/setup.py b/pyodide-build/setup.py
index 25f849ce1..52a7cac56 100644
--- a/pyodide-build/setup.py
+++ b/pyodide-build/setup.py
@@ -2,4 +2,10 @@
 import setuptools
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    setuptools.setup()
+    setuptools.setup(
+        entry_points={
+            "console_scripts": [
+                "_pywasmcross = pyodide_build.pywasmcross:compiler_main",
+            ]
+        }
+    )