diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..19fbaba29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+include SConstruct SConscript
+graft msgq
+global-exclude __pycache__ *.pyc *.o *.os *.d
diff --git a/SConscript b/SConscript
index cde36529e..328056e90 100644
--- a/SConscript
+++ b/SConscript
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ msgq_objects = env.SharedObject([
   'msgq/impl_fake.cc',
   'msgq/msgq.cc',
 ])
-msgq = env.Library('msgq', msgq_objects)
+msgq = env.Library('msgq/libmsgq', msgq_objects)
 msgq_python = envCython.Program('msgq/ipc_pyx.so', 'msgq/ipc_pyx.pyx', LIBS=envCython["LIBS"]+[msgq]+common)
 
 # Build Vision IPC
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ else:
 vipc_sources = [f'{visionipc_dir.abspath}/{f}' for f in vipc_files]
 
 vipc_objects = env.SharedObject(vipc_sources)
-visionipc = env.Library('visionipc', vipc_objects)
+visionipc = env.Library('msgq/visionipc/libvisionipc', vipc_objects)
 
 
 vipc_libs = envCython["LIBS"] + [visionipc, msgq] + common
diff --git a/msgq/__init__.py b/msgq/__init__.py
index 1f71f3b6d..7e9f3c4e8 100644
--- a/msgq/__init__.py
+++ b/msgq/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-# must be built with scons
+import os
+
+# Native libraries and headers used by downstream C++ builds.
+INCLUDE_PATH = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
+LIB_PATH = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "libmsgq.a")
+VISIONIPC_LIB_PATH = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "visionipc", "libvisionipc.a")
+PYTHON_LIB_PATH = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "ipc_pyx.so")
+
 from msgq.ipc_pyx import Context, Poller, SubSocket, PubSocket, SocketEventHandle, toggle_fake_events, \
                                 set_fake_prefix, get_fake_prefix, delete_fake_prefix, wait_for_one_event
 from msgq.ipc_pyx import MultiplePublishersError, IpcError
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 8bb946933..39becfd9b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ classifiers = [
 ]
 dependencies = []
 
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=64", "Cython", "scons"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
 [project.optional-dependencies]
 dev = [
   "setuptools",  # for distutils
@@ -27,7 +31,7 @@ dev = [
 ]
 
 [tool.setuptools.package-data]
-"*" = ["*.so"]
+msgq = ["*.h", "*.a", "*.so", "*.dylib", "visionipc/*.h", "visionipc/*.a", "visionipc/*.so", "visionipc/*.dylib"]
 
 # https://beta.ruff.rs/docs/configuration/#using-pyprojecttoml
 [tool.ruff]
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..055572c1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import os
+import subprocess
+
+from setuptools import Distribution, setup
+from setuptools.command.build_py import build_py
+
+
+class BinaryDistribution(Distribution):
+  def has_ext_modules(self):
+    return True
+
+
+class BuildPyWithScons(build_py):
+  def run(self):
+    root = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+    subprocess.check_call(["scons", f"-j{os.cpu_count() or 1}", "--minimal"], cwd=root)
+    super().run()
+
+
+setup(cmdclass={"build_py": BuildPyWithScons}, distclass=BinaryDistribution)