diff --git a/pyoxidizer/src/project_building.rs b/pyoxidizer/src/project_building.rs
index 13fbb7deb..82a015f24 100644
--- a/pyoxidizer/src/project_building.rs
+++ b/pyoxidizer/src/project_building.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 use {
     crate::{
-        environment::{canonicalize_path, Environment, RustEnvironment},
+        environment::{Environment, RustEnvironment},
         project_layout::initialize_project,
         py_packaging::{
             binary::{LibpythonLinkMode, PythonBinaryBuilder},
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use {
     duct::cmd,
     slog::warn,
     starlark_dialect_build_targets::ResolvedTarget,
+    starlark::values::Value,
     std::{
         collections::HashMap,
         fs::create_dir_all,
@@ -443,12 +444,6 @@ pub fn build_pyembed_artifacts(
 ) -> Result<()> {
     create_dir_all(artifacts_path)?;
 
-    let artifacts_path = canonicalize_path(artifacts_path)?;
-
-    if artifacts_current(logger, config_path, &artifacts_path) {
-        return Ok(());
-    }
-
     let mut context: EvaluationContext = EvaluationContextBuilder::new(
         env,
         logger.clone(),
@@ -462,6 +457,8 @@ pub fn build_pyembed_artifacts(
     .build_script_mode(true)
     .try_into()?;
 
+    context.set_var("_OUT_DIR", Value::from(artifacts_path.to_str().unwrap())).unwrap();
+    context.eval("set_build_path(_OUT_DIR)")?;
     context.evaluate_file(config_path)?;
 
     // TODO should we honor only the specified target if one is given?
@@ -471,25 +468,9 @@ pub fn build_pyembed_artifacts(
         // Presence of the generated default python config file implies this is a valid
         // artifacts directory.
         let default_python_config = resolved.output_path.join(DEFAULT_PYTHON_CONFIG_FILENAME);
-        if !default_python_config.exists() {
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        for p in std::fs::read_dir(&resolved.output_path).context(format!(
-            "reading directory {}",
-            &resolved.output_path.display()
-        ))? {
-            let p = p?;
-
-            let dest_path = artifacts_path.join(p.file_name());
-            std::fs::copy(&p.path(), &dest_path).context(format!(
-                "copying {} to {}",
-                p.path().display(),
-                dest_path.display()
-            ))?;
+        if default_python_config.exists() {
+            return Ok(());
         }
-
-        return Ok(());
     }
 
     Err(anyhow!(
diff --git a/pyoxidizer/src/py_packaging/embedding.rs b/pyoxidizer/src/py_packaging/embedding.rs
index 38b2d8522..02a155f44 100644
--- a/pyoxidizer/src/py_packaging/embedding.rs
+++ b/pyoxidizer/src/py_packaging/embedding.rs
@@ -349,6 +349,28 @@ impl<'a> EmbeddedPythonContext<'a> {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Write an archive containing extra files.
+    pub fn write_extra_files(&self, dest_dir: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<()> {
+        let mut fh = std::fs::File::create(dest_dir.as_ref().join("extra_files.tar.zstd"))?;
+        let mut ar = tar::Builder::new(zstd::Encoder::new(fh, 0)?);
+        ar.mode(tar::HeaderMode::Deterministic);
+        for (path, e) in self.extra_files.iter_entries() {
+            if let Some(src) = e.file_data().backing_path() {
+                ar.append_path_with_name(src, path)?;
+                continue;
+            }
+            let b = e.resolve_content()?;
+            let mut h = tar::Header::new_gnu();
+            h.set_size(b.len() as u64);
+            h.set_mode(if e.is_executable() { 0o755 } else { 0o644 });
+            h.set_uid(0);
+            h.set_gid(0);
+            h.set_mtime(1153704088);
+            ar.append_data(&mut h, path, b.as_slice())?;
+        }
+        Ok(ar.into_inner()?.finish()?.sync_data()?)
+    }
+
     /// Write out files needed to build a binary against our configuration.
     pub fn write_files(&self, dest_dir: &Path) -> Result<()> {
         self.write_packed_resources(&dest_dir)
diff --git a/pyoxidizer/src/starlark/python_embedded_resources.rs b/pyoxidizer/src/starlark/python_embedded_resources.rs
index 2483e2ca5..cb22bec7e 100644
--- a/pyoxidizer/src/starlark/python_embedded_resources.rs
+++ b/pyoxidizer/src/starlark/python_embedded_resources.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ impl PythonEmbeddedResourcesValue {
         context: &PyOxidizerEnvironmentContext,
     ) -> Result<ResolvedTarget> {
         let output_path = context
-            .get_output_path(type_values, target)
+            .build_path(type_values)
             .map_err(|_| anyhow!("unable to resolve output path"))?;
 
         warn!(
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ impl PythonEmbeddedResourcesValue {
         std::fs::create_dir_all(&output_path)
             .with_context(|| format!("creating output directory: {}", output_path.display()))?;
         embedded.write_files(&output_path)?;
+        embedded.write_extra_files(&output_path)?;
 
         Ok(ResolvedTarget {
             run_mode: RunMode::None,