diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4947d0c..6518cdf 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     "check:format": "biome check .",
     "format": "biome check --write .",
     "build:vscode": "bun run --cwd vscode build",
-    "build:zed": "cargo +1.90 build --manifest-path zed/Cargo.toml --locked --release --target wasm32-wasip2"
+    "build:zed": "bun scripts/build-zed.ts"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@biomejs/biome": "2.5.14",
diff --git a/scripts/build-zed.test.ts b/scripts/build-zed.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79a70d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-zed.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { join, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { zedBuildEnvironment } from "./build-zed.ts";
+
+test("remaps dependency source locations without splitting paths containing spaces", () => {
+  const cargoHome = resolve("fixture Cargo cache");
+  const result = zedBuildEnvironment({ CARGO_HOME: cargoHome });
+  expect(result.CARGO_ENCODED_RUSTFLAGS).toBe(
+    `--remap-path-prefix=${join(cargoHome, "registry", "src")}=/cargo/registry/src`,
+  );
+});
+
+test("preserves existing encoded flags and unrelated build environment", () => {
+  const result = zedBuildEnvironment({
+    CARGO_HOME: resolve("fixture-cargo"),
+    CARGO_ENCODED_RUSTFLAGS: "-C\x1fopt-level=z",
+    RUSTFLAGS: "ignored-by-cargo",
+    CARGO_NET_OFFLINE: "true",
+  });
+  expect(result.CARGO_ENCODED_RUSTFLAGS?.split("\x1f").slice(0, 2)).toEqual(["-C", "opt-level=z"]);
+  expect(result.CARGO_NET_OFFLINE).toBe("true");
+});
+
+test("preserves whitespace-separated RUSTFLAGS when no encoded flags were supplied", () => {
+  const result = zedBuildEnvironment({
+    CARGO_HOME: resolve("fixture-cargo"),
+    RUSTFLAGS: "-C opt-level=2",
+  });
+  expect(result.CARGO_ENCODED_RUSTFLAGS?.split("\x1f").slice(0, 2)).toEqual(["-C", "opt-level=2"]);
+});
diff --git a/scripts/build-zed.ts b/scripts/build-zed.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a6060d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build-zed.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { homedir } from "node:os";
+import { join, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { assertPublicMessage } from "./publication-safety.ts";
+
+export function zedBuildEnvironment(environment: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): NodeJS.ProcessEnv {
+  const cargoHome = resolve(environment.CARGO_HOME || join(homedir(), ".cargo"));
+  const flags =
+    environment.CARGO_ENCODED_RUSTFLAGS !== undefined
+      ? environment.CARGO_ENCODED_RUSTFLAGS.split("\x1f").filter(Boolean)
+      : (environment.RUSTFLAGS ?? "").split(/\s+/u).filter(Boolean);
+  flags.push(`--remap-path-prefix=${join(cargoHome, "registry", "src")}=/cargo/registry/src`);
+  return { ...environment, CARGO_ENCODED_RUSTFLAGS: flags.join("\x1f") };
+}
+
+if (import.meta.main) {
+  const result = spawnSync(
+    "cargo",
+    [
+      "+1.90",
+      "build",
+      "--manifest-path",
+      "zed/Cargo.toml",
+      "--locked",
+      "--release",
+      "--target",
+      "wasm32-wasip2",
+    ],
+    { env: zedBuildEnvironment(process.env), stdio: "inherit", shell: false },
+  );
+  if (result.error) throw result.error;
+  if (result.status !== 0) process.exit(result.status ?? 1);
+  // Panic locations are data strings, so removing debug sections cannot sanitize them.
+  assertPublicMessage(
+    readFileSync("zed/target/wasm32-wasip2/release/rootform_zed.wasm").toString("utf8"),
+  );
+}
diff --git a/scripts/verify.ts b/scripts/verify.ts
index 049f7a1..9191619 100644
--- a/scripts/verify.ts
+++ b/scripts/verify.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ try {
 
 for (const command of [
   ["bun", "scripts/check-publication.ts"],
-  ["bun", "test", "scripts/publication-safety.test.ts"],
+  ["bun", "test", "scripts/publication-safety.test.ts", "scripts/build-zed.test.ts"],
   ["gitleaks", "git", "--no-banner", "--redact", "--config", ".gitleaks.toml", "."],
   ["bun", "run", "check:format"],
   ["bun", "run", "build:vscode"],