diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -270,9 +270,13 @@
 pyoxidizer:
 	$(PYOXIDIZER) build --path ./rust/hgcli --release
 
+# a temporary target to setup all we need for run-tests.py --pyoxidizer
+# (should go away as the run-tests implementation improves
+pyoxidizer-windows-tests: pyoxidizer
+
 .PHONY: help all local build doc cleanbutpackages clean install install-bin \
 	install-doc install-home install-home-bin install-home-doc \
 	dist dist-notests check tests rust-tests check-code format-c \
-	update-pot pyoxidizer \
+	update-pot pyoxidizer pyoxidizer-windows-tests \
 	$(packaging_targets) \
 	osx
diff --git a/tests/run-tests.py b/tests/run-tests.py
--- a/tests/run-tests.py
+++ b/tests/run-tests.py
@@ -3910,7 +3910,7 @@
         vlog('# build a pyoxidized version of Mercurial')
         assert os.path.dirname(self._bindir) == self._installdir
         assert self._hgroot, 'must be called after _installhg()'
-        cmd = b'"%(make)s" pyoxidizer' % {
+        cmd = b'"%(make)s" pyoxidizer-windows-tests' % {
             b'make': b'make',
         }
         cwd = self._hgroot