diff --git a/pyodide_build/pypabuild.py b/pyodide_build/pypabuild.py
index 3a639722..f68a1d55 100644
--- a/pyodide_build/pypabuild.py
+++ b/pyodide_build/pypabuild.py
@@ -284,17 +284,23 @@ def make_command_wrapper_symlinks(symlink_dir: Path) -> dict[str, str]:
     return env
 
 
-# TODO: a context manager is no longer needed here
-@contextmanager
-def _create_symlink_dir(
-    env: dict[str, str],
-    build_dir: Path,
-):
-    # Leave the symlinks in the build directory. This helps with reproducing.
-    symlink_dir = build_dir / "pywasmcross_symlinks"
-    shutil.rmtree(symlink_dir, ignore_errors=True)
-    symlink_dir.mkdir()
-    yield symlink_dir
+def _create_symlink_dir(build_dir: Path | None) -> Path:
+    if build_dir is None:
+        # If no build directory is provided, create a temporary directory
+
+        # NOTE: This is not ideal and should not be merged as-is. We need
+        # to find a better way to handle this.
+
+        import tempfile
+
+        symlink_dir = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="pywasmcross_symlinks"))
+    else:
+        # Leave the symlinks in the build directory. This helps with reproducing.
+        symlink_dir = build_dir / "pywasmcross_symlinks"
+        shutil.rmtree(symlink_dir, ignore_errors=True)
+        symlink_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+
+    return symlink_dir
 
 
 @contextmanager
@@ -327,28 +333,36 @@ def get_build_env(
     args["exports"] = exports
     env = env.copy()
 
-    with _create_symlink_dir(env, build_dir) as symlink_dir:
-        env.update(make_command_wrapper_symlinks(symlink_dir))
-        sysconfig_dir = Path(get_build_flag("TARGETINSTALLDIR")) / "sysconfigdata"
-        args["PYTHONPATH"] = sys.path + [str(symlink_dir), str(sysconfig_dir)]
-        args["orig__name__"] = __name__
-        args["pythoninclude"] = get_build_flag("PYTHONINCLUDE")
-        args["PATH"] = env["PATH"]
-        args["abi"] = get_build_flag("PYODIDE_ABI_VERSION")
-
-        pywasmcross_env = json.dumps(args)
-        # Store into environment variable and to disk. In most cases we will
-        # load from the environment variable but if some other tool filters
-        # environment variables we will load from disk instead.
-        env["PYWASMCROSS_ARGS"] = pywasmcross_env
-        (symlink_dir / "pywasmcross_env.json").write_text(pywasmcross_env)
-
-        env["_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM"] = platform()
-        env["_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME"] = get_build_flag("SYSCONFIG_NAME")
-        env["PYTHONPATH"] = str(sysconfig_dir)
-        env["COMPILER_WRAPPER_DIR"] = str(symlink_dir)
+    symlink_dir = _create_symlink_dir(build_dir)
 
+    env.update(make_command_wrapper_symlinks(symlink_dir))
+
+    sysconfig_dir = Path(get_build_flag("TARGETINSTALLDIR")) / "sysconfigdata"
+    args["PYTHONPATH"] = sys.path + [str(symlink_dir), str(sysconfig_dir)]
+    args["orig__name__"] = __name__
+    args["pythoninclude"] = get_build_flag("PYTHONINCLUDE")
+    args["PATH"] = env["PATH"]
+    args["abi"] = get_build_flag("PYODIDE_ABI_VERSION")
+
+    pywasmcross_env = json.dumps(args)
+    # Store into environment variable and to disk. In most cases we will
+    # load from the environment variable but if some other tool filters
+    # environment variables we will load from disk instead.
+    env["PYWASMCROSS_ARGS"] = pywasmcross_env
+    (symlink_dir / "pywasmcross_env.json").write_text(pywasmcross_env)
+
+    env["_PYTHON_HOST_PLATFORM"] = platform()
+    env["_PYTHON_SYSCONFIGDATA_NAME"] = get_build_flag("SYSCONFIG_NAME")
+    env["PYTHONPATH"] = str(sysconfig_dir)
+    env["COMPILER_WRAPPER_DIR"] = str(symlink_dir)
+
+    try:
         yield env
+    finally:
+        # Clean up a temporary directory, if we created one. Otherwise
+        # leave the symlinks in the build directory for reproducibility.
+        if build_dir is None:
+            shutil.rmtree(symlink_dir, ignore_errors=True)
 
 
 def build(