diff --git a/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat.py b/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat.py
index fb3b43d0a..9b783f53b 100644
--- a/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat.py
+++ b/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ if IN_BROWSER:
         fetch_string,
         loadDynlib,
         loadedPackages,
-        pyodide_js,
+        loadPackage,
     )
 else:
     from ._compat_not_in_pyodide import (
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ else:
         fetch_string,
         loadDynlib,
         loadedPackages,
-        pyodide_js,
+        loadPackage,
     )
 
 __all__ = [
@@ -25,5 +25,5 @@ __all__ = [
     "BUILTIN_PACKAGES",
     "loadedPackages",
     "loadDynlib",
-    "pyodide_js",
+    "loadPackage",
 ]
diff --git a/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat_in_pyodide.py b/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat_in_pyodide.py
index e49b9fa91..d335d1a97 100644
--- a/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat_in_pyodide.py
+++ b/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat_in_pyodide.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from pyodide.http import pyfetch
 
 try:
     import pyodide_js
-    from pyodide_js import loadedPackages
+    from pyodide_js import loadedPackages, loadPackage
     from pyodide_js._api import loadDynlib  # type: ignore[import]
 
     BUILTIN_PACKAGES = pyodide_js._api.packages.to_py()
@@ -27,5 +27,5 @@ __all__ = [
     "BUILTIN_PACKAGES",
     "loadedPackages",
     "loadDynlib",
-    "pyodide_js",
+    "loadPackage",
 ]
diff --git a/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat_not_in_pyodide.py b/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat_not_in_pyodide.py
index 64537475a..f3e7cb4cc 100644
--- a/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat_not_in_pyodide.py
+++ b/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_compat_not_in_pyodide.py
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ class pyodide_js_:
         raise RuntimeError(f"Attempted to access property '{attr}' on pyodide_js dummy")
 
 
-pyodide_js: Any = pyodide_js_()
+def loadPackage(packages: str | list[str]) -> None:
+    pass
 
 
 __all__ = [
@@ -38,5 +39,5 @@ __all__ = [
     "fetch_string",
     "BUILTIN_PACKAGES",
     "loadedPackages",
-    "pyodide_js",
+    "loadPackage",
 ]
diff --git a/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_micropip.py b/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_micropip.py
index f18aafa18..b1cfdf278 100644
--- a/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_micropip.py
+++ b/packages/micropip/src/micropip/_micropip.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from ._compat import (
     fetch_string,
     loadDynlib,
     loadedPackages,
-    pyodide_js,
+    loadPackage,
 )
 from .externals.pip._internal.utils.wheel import pkg_resources_distribution_for_wheel
 from .package import PackageDict, PackageMetadata
@@ -490,9 +490,7 @@ async def install(
         # that case BUILTIN_PACKAGES is empty.
         wheel_promises.append(
             asyncio.ensure_future(
-                pyodide_js.loadPackage(
-                    to_js([name for [name, _, _] in pyodide_packages])
-                )
+                loadPackage(to_js([name for [name, _, _] in pyodide_packages]))
             )
         )