diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 1494395ff..15cd1bd99 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ jobs:
           pypy3 -m pip install --force-reinstall --no-index --find-links test-crates/pyo3-pure/target/wheels pyo3-pure
           pypy3 -m pip install pytest
           pypy3 -m pytest test-crates/pyo3-pure/test_pyo3_pure.py
+
+          cargo run -- pep517 build-wheel -i pypy3 -m test-crates/pyo3-pure/Cargo.toml --cargo-extra-args="-vv"
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
         with:
           python-version: "3.10.0"
diff --git a/src/build_context.rs b/src/build_context.rs
index af782185e..44f9194ea 100644
--- a/src/build_context.rs
+++ b/src/build_context.rs
@@ -211,7 +211,9 @@ impl BuildContext {
                     .cloned()
                     .collect();
                 let mut built_wheels = Vec::new();
-                built_wheels.extend(self.build_binding_wheel_abi3(&cpythons, *major, *minor)?);
+                if !cpythons.is_empty() {
+                    built_wheels.extend(self.build_binding_wheel_abi3(&cpythons, *major, *minor)?);
+                }
                 if !pypys.is_empty() {
                     println!(
                         "⚠️ Warning: PyPy does not yet support abi3 so the build artifacts will be version-specific. \
diff --git a/src/build_options.rs b/src/build_options.rs
index f99966186..80244beeb 100644
--- a/src/build_options.rs
+++ b/src/build_options.rs
@@ -766,7 +766,20 @@ pub fn find_interpreter(
                     Ok(interpreter)
                 } else if generate_abi3_import_lib {
                     println!("🐍 Not using a specific python interpreter (Automatically generating windows import library)");
-                    Ok(Vec::new())
+                    // fake a python interpreter
+                    Ok(vec![PythonInterpreter {
+                        major: *major as usize,
+                        minor: *minor as usize,
+                        abiflags: "".to_string(),
+                        target: target.clone(),
+                        executable: PathBuf::new(),
+                        ext_suffix: ".pyd".to_string(),
+                        interpreter_kind: InterpreterKind::CPython,
+                        abi_tag: None,
+                        libs_dir: PathBuf::new(),
+                        platform: None,
+                        runnable: false,
+                    }])
                 } else {
                     bail!("Failed to find a python interpreter");
                 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index ce332c491..e8217dab7 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -329,7 +329,8 @@ fn run() -> Result<()> {
             if !no_sdist {
                 build_context.build_source_distribution()?;
             }
-            build_context.build_wheels()?;
+            let wheels = build_context.build_wheels()?;
+            assert!(!wheels.is_empty());
         }
         #[cfg(feature = "upload")]
         Opt::Publish {