diff --git a/crates/cli_utils/Cargo.toml b/crates/cli_utils/Cargo.toml
index 2530866df5..beec8f917b 100644
--- a/crates/cli_utils/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/cli_utils/Cargo.toml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ roc_load = { path = "../compiler/load" }
 roc_module = { path = "../compiler/module" }
 roc_reporting = { path = "../reporting" }
 roc_command_utils = { path = "../utils/command" }
+copy_zig_glue = { path = "../copy_zig_glue" }
 
 bumpalo.workspace = true
 criterion.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/cli_utils/src/helpers.rs b/crates/cli_utils/src/helpers.rs
index 6a46b2479e..7bcaeacaa5 100644
--- a/crates/cli_utils/src/helpers.rs
+++ b/crates/cli_utils/src/helpers.rs
@@ -14,8 +14,11 @@ use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::process::{Command, ExitStatus, Stdio};
 use std::sync::Mutex;
+use std::sync::Once;
 use tempfile::NamedTempFile;
 
+static ZIG_PLATFORM_COPY_GLUE_ONCE: Once = Once::new();
+
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct Out {
     pub cmd_str: OsString, // command with all its arguments, for easy debugging
@@ -122,6 +125,8 @@ where
         roc_cmd.arg(arg);
     }
 
+    initialize_zig_test_platforms();
+
     for (k, v) in extra_env {
         roc_cmd.env(k, v);
     }
@@ -473,3 +478,12 @@ pub fn known_bad_file(file_name: &str) -> PathBuf {
 
     path
 }
+
+/// Copies the glue source files for zig platforms from the roc builtins
+/// this is only temporary, see comments in crates/copy_zig_glue/src/main.rs
+fn initialize_zig_test_platforms() {
+    ZIG_PLATFORM_COPY_GLUE_ONCE.call_once(|| {
+        // initialization code here
+        copy_zig_glue::copy_zig_glue();
+    });
+}