diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 67a9d39..2dac680 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,14 @@ jobs:
         uses: wasmerio/setup-wasmer@v2
         with:
           version: "prerelease"
+      - name: Set up wasixcc
+        # Puts wasixcc/wasixcc++/wasixar on PATH so the wasixcc integration
+        # tests exercise the real thing instead of skipping.
+        uses: wasix-org/wasixcc@v0.4.3
+        with:
+          # Authenticated GitHub API requests/downloads; without this the
+          # action hits anonymous per-IP rate limits on shared runners.
+          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
       - name: test
         shell: bash
         run: cargo test --all-features -j1
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 41a6306..3dfb1ef 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -257,6 +257,47 @@ fn rmain(config: &mut Config) -> Result<()> {
         }
     }
 
+    // Point the `cc` crate (and anything else honoring its conventions) at
+    // the wasixcc toolchain when it's installed. The variables are scoped to
+    // the target — `cc` checks `CC_<target>` before `TARGET_CC` and `CC` —
+    // so a host compiler configured in the user's environment neither blocks
+    // this nor leaks into the WASIX build, and the user's generic setting is
+    // never touched. A target-scoped variable already set by the user (in
+    // either the dashed or underscored spelling) is respected.
+    for (tool, wasix_tool) in [
+        ("CC", "wasixcc"),
+        ("CXX", "wasixcc++"),
+        ("AR", "wasixar"),
+        ("RANLIB", "wasixranlib"),
+    ] {
+        let dashed = format!("{tool}_{target}");
+        let underscored = format!("{tool}_{}", target.replace('-', "_"));
+        if env::var_os(&dashed).is_some() || env::var_os(&underscored).is_some() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if which::which(wasix_tool).is_ok() {
+            // SAFETY: not safe in multi-threaded environment
+            unsafe { env::set_var(&underscored, wasix_tool) };
+            config.verbose(|| config.info(&format!("Set {underscored}={wasix_tool}")));
+        }
+    }
+
+    // For the -dl target, set wasixcc-specific environment variables
+    if target.ends_with("-dl") {
+        // Enable position-independent code for dynamic linking
+        if std::env::var("WASIXCC_PIC").is_err() {
+            // SAFETY: not safe in multi-threaded environment
+            unsafe { env::set_var("WASIXCC_PIC", "1") };
+            config.verbose(|| config.info("Set WASIXCC_PIC=1 for -dl target"));
+        }
+        // Enable WASM exceptions for better performance and C++ exception support
+        if std::env::var("WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS").is_err() {
+            // SAFETY: not safe in multi-threaded environment
+            unsafe { env::set_var("WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS", "1") };
+            config.verbose(|| config.info("Set WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS=1 for -dl target"));
+        }
+    }
+
     // Make sure the project resolves crates through the WASIX overlay
     // registry before running cargo. Every subcommand from here on resolves
     // the dependency graph (`download-toolchain` returned above), including
diff --git a/tests/tests/main.rs b/tests/tests/main.rs
index 81a3323..23860c0 100644
--- a/tests/tests/main.rs
+++ b/tests/tests/main.rs
@@ -1136,3 +1136,134 @@ fn registry_config_respects_existing_replacement() -> Result<()> {
     assert_eq!(written, existing);
     Ok(())
 }
+#[test]
+fn wasixcc_env_vars_set() -> Result<()> {
+    // The wasixcc tools are pointed at via target-scoped variables (the ones
+    // the `cc` crate checks first), so a host compiler in the generic CC/CXX
+    // never blocks them and is never modified.
+    if which::which("wasixcc").is_err() {
+        eprintln!("SKIPPED wasixcc_env_vars_set: wasixcc not on PATH");
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
+    let p = support::project()
+        .file("src/main.rs", "fn main() {}")
+        .file(
+            "build.rs",
+            r#"
+                fn main() {
+                    for var in [
+                        "CC_wasm32_wasmer_wasi",
+                        "CXX_wasm32_wasmer_wasi",
+                        "AR_wasm32_wasmer_wasi",
+                        "CC",
+                    ] {
+                        // Changed env vars must re-run this script, or later
+                        // builds replay the first run's cached warnings.
+                        println!("cargo:rerun-if-env-changed={}", var);
+                        match std::env::var(var) {
+                            Ok(v) => println!("cargo:warning={} is set to: {}", var, v),
+                            Err(_) => println!("cargo:warning={} is not set", var),
+                        }
+                    }
+                    println!("cargo:rerun-if-env-changed=CC_wasm32-wasmer-wasi");
+                }
+            "#,
+        )
+        .build();
+
+    // A generic host CC in the environment must not block the target-scoped
+    // variables (and must be passed through untouched).
+    let mut cmd = p.cargo_wasix("build");
+    cmd.env("CC", "host-cc-do-not-use");
+    let output = cmd.assert().success();
+    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.get_output().stderr);
+    assert!(
+        stderr.contains("CC_wasm32_wasmer_wasi is set to: wasixcc"),
+        "{stderr}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stderr.contains("CXX_wasm32_wasmer_wasi is set to: wasixcc++"),
+        "{stderr}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stderr.contains("AR_wasm32_wasmer_wasi is set to: wasixar"),
+        "{stderr}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stderr.contains("CC is set to: host-cc-do-not-use"),
+        "{stderr}"
+    );
+
+    // A user-set target-scoped variable wins over the wasixcc default.
+    let mut cmd = p.cargo_wasix("build");
+    cmd.env("CC_wasm32_wasmer_wasi", "my-custom-wasix-cc");
+    let output = cmd.assert().success();
+    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.get_output().stderr);
+    assert!(
+        stderr.contains("CC_wasm32_wasmer_wasi is set to: my-custom-wasix-cc"),
+        "{stderr}"
+    );
+
+    // The dashed spelling (checked first by `cc`) also counts as a user
+    // override: the underscored variant must not be set on top of it.
+    let mut cmd = p.cargo_wasix("build");
+    cmd.env("CC_wasm32-wasmer-wasi", "my-dashed-wasix-cc");
+    let output = cmd.assert().success();
+    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.get_output().stderr);
+    assert!(
+        stderr.contains("CC_wasm32_wasmer_wasi is not set"),
+        "{stderr}"
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn wasixcc_pic_and_exceptions_for_dl_target() -> Result<()> {
+    // Test that WASIXCC_PIC and WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS are set for -dl target
+    let p = support::project()
+        .file("src/main.rs", "fn main() {}")
+        .file(
+            "build.rs",
+            r#"
+                fn main() {
+                    if let Ok(pic) = std::env::var("WASIXCC_PIC") {
+                        println!("cargo:warning=WASIXCC_PIC is set to: {}", pic);
+                    }
+                    if let Ok(exceptions) = std::env::var("WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS") {
+                        println!("cargo:warning=WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS is set to: {}", exceptions);
+                    }
+                }
+            "#,
+        )
+        .file(
+            "Cargo.toml",
+            r#"
+                [package]
+                name = "foo"
+                version = '1.0.0'
+                
+                [package.metadata]
+                dl = true
+            "#,
+        )
+        .build();
+
+    let output = p.cargo_wasix("build").assert().success();
+    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.get_output().stderr);
+
+    // For -dl target, WASIXCC_PIC and WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS should be set
+    assert!(
+        stderr.contains("WASIXCC_PIC is set to: 1"),
+        "Expected WASIXCC_PIC=1 for -dl target, stderr:\n{}",
+        stderr
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stderr.contains("WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS is set to: 1"),
+        "Expected WASIXCC_WASM_EXCEPTIONS=1 for -dl target, stderr:\n{}",
+        stderr
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}