Another approach to use zig build with setuptools.

build_backend.py

@@ -37,10 +37,30 @@ def _build_libaegis():
 
 
 # Expose all the standard build backend hooks
-get_requires_for_build_wheel = _orig.get_requires_for_build_wheel
-get_requires_for_build_sdist = _orig.get_requires_for_build_sdist
-prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel = _orig.prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel
-build_sdist = _orig.build_sdist
+def get_requires_for_build_wheel(config_settings=None):
+    """Return build requirements and ensure libaegis is built first."""
+    _build_libaegis()
+    return _orig.get_requires_for_build_wheel(config_settings)
+
+
+def get_requires_for_build_sdist(config_settings=None):
+    """Return build requirements for sdist and ensure libaegis is built first."""
+    _build_libaegis()
+    return _orig.get_requires_for_build_sdist(config_settings)
+_orig_prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel = _orig.prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel
+_orig_build_sdist = _orig.build_sdist
+
+
+def prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel(metadata_directory, config_settings=None):
+    """Prepare metadata and ensure libaegis is built (some frontends call this early)."""
+    _build_libaegis()
+    return _orig_prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel(metadata_directory, config_settings)
+
+
+def build_sdist(sdist_directory, config_settings=None):
+    """Build sdist, building libaegis first so the sdist can include built artifacts if needed."""
+    _build_libaegis()
+    return _orig_build_sdist(sdist_directory, config_settings)
 
 
 def build_wheel(wheel_directory, config_settings=None, metadata_directory=None):