diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 1f696eb..9bbf501 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -27,18 +27,7 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: |
           git submodule update --init --recursive
-          mkdir -p cpython/builddir/wasi
-          mkdir -p cpython/builddir/build
-          cd cpython/builddir/build
-          ../../configure --prefix=$(pwd)/install --enable-optimizations
-          make
-          cd ../wasi
-          CONFIG_SITE=../../Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-wasi ../../Tools/wasm/wasi-env \
-            ../../configure -C --host=wasm32-unknown-wasi --build=$(../../config.guess) \
-            --with-build-python=$(pwd)/../build/python --prefix=$(pwd)/install --disable-test-modules
-          make
-          make install
-          cd ../../..
+          ./build-python.sh
 
       - name: Publish CPython
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index a428b29..745c840 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -56,18 +56,7 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: |
           git submodule update --init --recursive
-          mkdir -p cpython/builddir/wasi
-          mkdir -p cpython/builddir/build
-          cd cpython/builddir/build
-          ../../configure --prefix=$(pwd)/install --enable-optimizations
-          make
-          cd ../wasi
-          CONFIG_SITE=../../Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-wasi ../../Tools/wasm/wasi-env \
-            ../../configure -C --host=wasm32-unknown-wasi --build=$(../../config.guess) \
-            --with-build-python=$(pwd)/../build/python --prefix=$(pwd)/install --disable-test-modules
-          make
-          make install
-          cd ../../..
+          ./build-python.sh
 
       - name: Lint
         shell: bash
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ebf1b29..bcfd525 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,25 +1,26 @@
 WASI_SDK_PATH ?= /opt/wasi-sdk
+CARGO_TARGET_DIR ?= $(shell pwd)/target
 
-target/release/spin-python: \
-		target/wasm32-wasi/release/spin_python_engine.wasm \
+$(CARGO_TARGET_DIR)/release/spin-python: \
+		$(CARGO_TARGET_DIR)/wasm32-wasi/release/spin_python_engine.wasm \
 		crates/spin-python-cli/build.rs \
 		crates/spin-python-cli/src/main.rs
 	cd crates/spin-python-cli && \
-	SPIN_PYTHON_ENGINE_PATH=../../$< \
+	SPIN_PYTHON_ENGINE_PATH=$< \
 	SPIN_PYTHON_CORE_LIBRARY_PATH=$$(pwd)/../../cpython/builddir/wasi/install/lib/python3.11 \
 	cargo build --release $(BUILD_TARGET)
 
-target/wasm32-wasi/release/spin_python_engine.wasm: \
+$(CARGO_TARGET_DIR)/wasm32-wasi/release/spin_python_engine.wasm: \
 		crates/spin-python-engine/src/lib.rs \
 		crates/spin-python-engine/build.rs \
-		target/pyo3-config.txt
+		$(CARGO_TARGET_DIR)/pyo3-config.txt
 	cd crates/spin-python-engine && \
-	PYO3_CONFIG_FILE=$$(pwd)/../../target/pyo3-config.txt \
+	PYO3_CONFIG_FILE=$(CARGO_TARGET_DIR)/pyo3-config.txt \
 	cargo build --release --target=wasm32-wasi
 
-target/pyo3-config.txt: crates/spin-python-engine/pyo3-config.txt
-	mkdir -p target
-	cp $< target
+$(CARGO_TARGET_DIR)/pyo3-config.txt: crates/spin-python-engine/pyo3-config.txt
+	mkdir -p $(CARGO_TARGET_DIR)
+	cp $< $(CARGO_TARGET_DIR)
 	if which cygpath > /dev/null; then \
 	echo "lib_dir=$$(cygpath -w $$(pwd)/cpython/builddir/wasi)" >> $@; \
 	else \
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1023aa2..de45a79 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,17 +2,9 @@
 
 This is an experiment to build a Spin Python SDK using CPython, Wizer, and PyO3.
 
-## Prerequisites
-
-- [WASI SDK](https://github.com/WebAssembly/wasi-sdk) v16 or later, installed in /opt/wasi-sdk
-- [CPython](https://github.com/python/cpython) build prereqs (e.g. Make, Clang, etc.)
-- [Rust](https://rustup.rs/) (including `wasm32-wasi` target)
-- [Spin](https://github.com/fermyon/spin)
-- [pipenv](https://pypi.org/project/pipenv/) for installing Python project dependencies
-
 ## Installing the Plugin and Running Examples
 
-Use the following command to install the `py2wasm` plugin and then build the spin app:
+Use the following command to install the `py2wasm` plugin and then build the example Spin app:
 
 ```
 spin plugins update
@@ -24,22 +16,20 @@ spin up
 
 ## Building and Running
 
-First, build CPython for wasm32-wasi:
+### Prerequisites
 
-```
-git submodule update --init --recursive
-mkdir -p cpython/builddir/wasi
-mkdir -p cpython/builddir/build
-cd cpython/builddir/build
-../../configure --prefix=$(pwd)/install --enable-optimizations
-make
-cd ../wasi
-CONFIG_SITE=../../Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-wasi ../../Tools/wasm/wasi-env \
-    ../../configure -C --host=wasm32-unknown-wasi --build=$(../../config.guess) \
-        --with-build-python=$(pwd)/../build/python --prefix=$(pwd)/install --disable-test-modules
-make
-make install
-cd ../../..
+- [WASI SDK](https://github.com/WebAssembly/wasi-sdk) v16 or later, installed in /opt/wasi-sdk
+- [CPython](https://github.com/python/cpython) build prereqs (e.g. Make, Clang, etc.)
+- [Rust](https://rustup.rs/) (including `wasm32-wasi` target)
+- [Spin](https://github.com/fermyon/spin)
+- [pipenv](https://pypi.org/project/pipenv/) for installing Python project dependencies
+
+### Instructions
+
+First, build CPython for wasm32-wasi.
+
+```bash
+./build-python.sh
 ```
 
 Then, build the `spin-python-cli`:
@@ -52,13 +42,13 @@ Finally, build and run the example app:
 
 ```
 cd examples/hello_world
-../../target/release/spin-python app -o app.wasm
+$CARGO_TARGET_DIR/release/spin-python app -o app.wasm
 spin up
 ```
 
-**Note:* `spin-python` and `py2wasm` are just different names for the same command. `spin-python` is used in the context of running the binary in a standalone context while `py2wasm` is  used when the command is run via Spin. In the samples provided in the `examples` directory, the `spin build` command depends on the plugin `py2wasm` being installed. Therefore, to test the locally built `spin-python` binary, replace the build command in the `spin.toml` to invoke it using spin build.
+**Note:* `spin-python` and `py2wasm` are just different names for the same command. `spin-python` is used in the context of running the binary in a standalone context while `py2wasm` is  used when the command is run via Spin. In the samples provided in the `examples` directory, the `spin build` command depends on the plugin `py2wasm` being installed. Therefore, to test the locally built `spin-python` binary, replace the build command in the `spin.toml` to invoke it using `spin build`.
 
 ```
 [component.build]
-command = "../../target/release/spin-python app -o app.wasm"
+command = "$CARGO_TARGET_DIR/release/spin-python app -o app.wasm"
 ```
diff --git a/build-python.sh b/build-python.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e17e63b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-python.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "linux-gnu"* ]]; then
+ EXE=python
+elif [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
+  EXE=python.exe
+else
+  echo "This script does not support $OSTYPE"
+fi
+
+mkdir -p cpython/builddir/wasi cpython/builddir/build
+pushd cpython/builddir/build
+../../configure --prefix=$(pwd)/install --enable-optimizations
+make
+popd
+
+pushd cpython/builddir/wasi
+CONFIG_SITE=../../Tools/wasm/config.site-wasm32-wasi ../../Tools/wasm/wasi-env \
+    ../../configure -C --host=wasm32-unknown-wasi --build=$(../../config.guess) \
+    --with-build-python=$(pwd)/../build/$EXE --prefix=$(pwd)/install --disable-test-modules
+make
+make install
+popd