diff --git a/src/api/python/pyproject.toml b/src/api/python/pyproject.toml
index 243a85a94..52c6db594 100644
--- a/src/api/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/src/api/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 [tool.pyodide.build]
 cflags = "-fwasm-exceptions -sSUPPORT_LONGJMP=wasm"
 cxxflags = "-fwasm-exceptions -sSUPPORT_LONGJMP=wasm"
-ldflags = "-fwasm-exceptions -sSUPPORT_LONGJMP=wasm -sWASM_BIGINT"
+ldflags = "-fwasm-exceptions -sSUPPORT_LONGJMP=wasm -sWASM_BIGINT -sSIDE_MODULE=1"
 
 # --- cibuildwheel: produce a PyPI-publishable pyemscripten wheel -------------
 [tool.cibuildwheel]
diff --git a/src/api/python/setup.py b/src/api/python/setup.py
index 029b5ea86..b199effd3 100644
--- a/src/api/python/setup.py
+++ b/src/api/python/setup.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ if RELEASE_DIR is None:
         _wasm_eh = " -fwasm-exceptions -sSUPPORT_LONGJMP=wasm"
         build_env['CFLAGS'] = build_env.get('CFLAGS', '') + _wasm_eh
         build_env['CXXFLAGS'] = build_env.get('CXXFLAGS', '') + _wasm_eh
-        build_env['LDFLAGS'] = build_env.get('LDFLAGS', '') + _wasm_eh + " -sWASM_BIGINT"
+        build_env['LDFLAGS'] = build_env.get('LDFLAGS', '') + _wasm_eh + " -sWASM_BIGINT -sSIDE_MODULE=1"
         IS_SINGLE_THREADED = True
         ENABLE_LTO = False
         # build with pthread doesn't work. The WASM bindings are also single threaded.