diff --git a/poetry/core/masonry/api.py b/poetry/core/masonry/api.py
index e0a9be858..37bd9098a 100644
--- a/poetry/core/masonry/api.py
+++ b/poetry/core/masonry/api.py
@@ -78,3 +78,17 @@ def build_sdist(
     path = SdistBuilder(poetry).build(Path(sdist_directory))
 
     return path.name
+
+
+def build_editable(
+    wheel_directory: str,
+    config_settings: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+    metadata_directory: Optional[str] = None,
+) -> str:
+    poetry = Factory().create_poetry(Path(".").resolve(), with_dev=False)
+
+    return WheelBuilder.make_in(poetry, Path(wheel_directory), editable=True)
+
+
+get_requires_for_build_editable = get_requires_for_build_wheel
+prepare_metadata_for_build_editable = prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel
diff --git a/poetry/core/masonry/builders/wheel.py b/poetry/core/masonry/builders/wheel.py
index 29bff308c..f4e805809 100644
--- a/poetry/core/masonry/builders/wheel.py
+++ b/poetry/core/masonry/builders/wheel.py
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ def __init__(
         target_dir: Optional[Path] = None,
         original: Optional[Path] = None,
         executable: Optional[str] = None,
+        editable: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         super(WheelBuilder, self).__init__(poetry, executable=executable)
 
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._target_dir = target_dir or (self._poetry.file.parent / "dist")
         if original:
             self._original_path = original.parent
+        self._editable = editable
 
     @classmethod
     def make_in(
@@ -70,9 +72,14 @@ def make_in(
         directory: Optional[Path] = None,
         original: Optional[Path] = None,
         executable: Optional[str] = None,
+        editable: bool = False,
     ) -> str:
         wb = WheelBuilder(
-            poetry, target_dir=directory, original=original, executable=executable
+            poetry,
+            target_dir=directory,
+            original=original,
+            executable=executable,
+            editable=editable,
         )
         wb.build()
 
@@ -100,12 +107,16 @@ def build(self) -> None:
             with zipfile.ZipFile(
                 fd_file, mode="w", compression=zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED
             ) as zip_file:
-                if not self._poetry.package.build_should_generate_setup():
-                    self._build(zip_file)
-                    self._copy_module(zip_file)
+                if not self._editable:
+                    if not self._poetry.package.build_should_generate_setup():
+                        self._build(zip_file)
+                        self._copy_module(zip_file)
+                    else:
+                        self._copy_module(zip_file)
+                        self._build(zip_file)
                 else:
-                    self._copy_module(zip_file)
                     self._build(zip_file)
+                    self._write_pth(zip_file)
 
                 self._copy_file_scripts(zip_file)
                 self._write_metadata(zip_file)
@@ -118,6 +129,10 @@ def build(self) -> None:
 
         logger.info("Built {}".format(self.wheel_filename))
 
+    def _write_pth(self, wheel: zipfile.ZipFile) -> None:
+        with self._write_to_zip(wheel, self._module.name + ".pth") as f:
+            f.write(str(self._original_path.parent))
+
     def _build(self, wheel: zipfile.ZipFile) -> None:
         if self._package.build_script:
             if not self._poetry.package.build_should_generate_setup():
diff --git a/tests/masonry/test_api.py b/tests/masonry/test_api.py
index e0c73ab4c..2a5d258c0 100644
--- a/tests/masonry/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/masonry/test_api.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import platform
 import sys
+import zipfile
 
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -214,3 +215,19 @@ def test_prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel_with_bad_path_dep_succeeds():
     ):
         api.prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel(tmp_dir)
     assert "does not exist" in str(err.value)
+
+
+def test_build_editable_wheel():
+    with temporary_directory() as tmp_dir, cwd(os.path.join(fixtures, "complete")):
+        filename = api.build_editable(tmp_dir)
+        validate_wheel_contents(
+            name="my_package",
+            version="1.2.3",
+            path=str(os.path.join(tmp_dir, filename)),
+        )
+
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(os.path.join(tmp_dir, filename)) as z:
+            namelist = z.namelist()
+
+            assert "my_package.pth" in namelist
+            assert fixtures == z.read("my_package.pth").decode()