diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-wheel-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/build-wheel-wrapper.yml
similarity index 51%
rename from .github/workflows/build-wheel-linux.yml
rename to .github/workflows/build-wheel-wrapper.yml
index 2af75ed3..1445056c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-wheel-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-wheel-wrapper.yml
@@ -6,11 +6,8 @@
 # granted to it by virtue of its status as an intergovernmental organisation
 # nor does it submit to any jurisdiction.
 
-# NOTE just an empty action, to allow explicit running from a branch where the
-# actual development is happening
 
-
-name: Build Python Wheel for Linux
+name: Build Python Wrapper Wheel
 
 on:
   # Trigger the workflow manually
@@ -22,13 +19,9 @@ on:
   # TODO automation trigger
 
 jobs:
-  build:
-    name: Build manylinux_2_28
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, Linux, platform-builder-Rocky-8.6]
-    container:
-      image: eccr.ecmwf.int/wheelmaker/2_28:latest
-      credentials:
-        username: ${{ secrets.ECMWF_DOCKER_REGISTRY_USERNAME }}
-        password: ${{ secrets.ECMWF_DOCKER_REGISTRY_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
-    steps:
-      - run: echo "nihil"
+  python-wrapper-wheel:
+    name: Python Wrapper Wheel
+    uses: ecmwf/reusable-workflows/.github/workflows/python-wrapper-wheel.yml@main
+    with:
+      wheel_directory: python/metkitlib
+    secrets: inherit
diff --git a/python/metkitlib/buildconfig b/python/metkitlib/buildconfig
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..28463529
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/metkitlib/buildconfig
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# (C) Copyright 2024- ECMWF.
+#
+# This software is licensed under the terms of the Apache Licence Version 2.0
+# which can be obtained at http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
+# In applying this licence, ECMWF does not waive the privileges and immunities
+# granted to it by virtue of its status as an intergovernmental organisation
+# nor does it submit to any jurisdiction.
+
+# to be source'd by wheelmaker's compile.sh *and* wheel-linux.sh
+# NOTE replace the whole thing with pyproject.toml? Less powerful, and quaint to use for sourcing ecbuild invocation
+# TODO we duplicate information -- pyproject.toml's `name` and `packages` are derivable from $NAME and must stay consistent
+
+NAME="metkit"
+CMAKE_PARAMS="-DECKIT_PATH=/tmp/target/eckit"
+PYPROJECT_DIR="python/metkitlib"
+DEPENDENCIES='["eckit"]'
diff --git a/python/metkitlib/setup.cfg b/python/metkitlib/setup.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7d273367
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/metkitlib/setup.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[metadata]
+description = "metkit"
+long_description = file: README.md
+long_description_content_type = text/markdown
+author = file: AUTHORS
diff --git a/python/metkitlib/setup.py b/python/metkitlib/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c64ad6d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/metkitlib/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+from setup_utils import plain_setup
+plain_setup()
diff --git a/python/pymetkit/README.md b/python/pymetkit/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ee5d936d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/pymetkit/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+This is just a placeholder for proper python interface of metkit -- for now we just showcase `findlibs`-based finding of `.so`, and loading via cffi.
+
+To demonstrate functionality, install `eckit` and `metkit` binary wheels in your venv, and then you can `pip install -e . && python -c 'import metkit; metkit.version()`.
+
+To be done:
+1. proper cffi setup
+2. wheel building (note this is **not** a wheel containing the metkit cpp lib! That happens in `../metkitlib`, and contains no python code)
diff --git a/python/pymetkit/pyproject.toml b/python/pymetkit/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1aa4aff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/pymetkit/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools >= 61.0"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[project]
+name = "pymetkit"
+version = "0.0.0"
+dependencies = ["cffi", "findlibs"]
diff --git a/python/pymetkit/src/pymetkit/__init__.py b/python/pymetkit/src/pymetkit/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2bb88eb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/pymetkit/src/pymetkit/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import cffi
+import findlibs
+
+_lib = None
+
+# TODO expose the full functionality
+
+def _get_lib():
+    global _lib
+    if _lib is None:
+        ffi = cffi.FFI()
+        ffi.cdef("unsigned int metkit_version_int();")
+        loc = findlibs.find("metkit")
+        _lib = ffi.dlopen(loc)
+    return _lib
+
+def metkit_version_int() -> int:
+    return _get_lib().metkit_version_int()