diff --git a/crates/tests/component/Cargo.toml b/crates/tests/component/Cargo.toml
index 546786541e..ecfc6b1b08 100644
--- a/crates/tests/component/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/tests/component/Cargo.toml
@@ -20,3 +20,6 @@ features = [
     "Win32_Foundation",
     "Win32_System_WinRT",
 ]
+
+[build-dependencies.windows-bindgen]
+path = "../../libs/bindgen"
diff --git a/crates/tests/component/build.rs b/crates/tests/component/build.rs
index 5313bae4f3..86dcca4c49 100644
--- a/crates/tests/component/build.rs
+++ b/crates/tests/component/build.rs
@@ -22,28 +22,23 @@ fn main() {
 
     // TODO: this looks more complicated but soon the midlrt step above should disappear and then overall it should be simpler...
 
-    let mut command = std::process::Command::new("cargo");
+    let command: Vec<String> = vec![
+        "--in".to_owned(),
+        "component.winmd".to_owned(),
+        metadata_dir.to_owned(),
+        "--out".to_owned(),
+        "src/bindings.rs".to_owned(),
+        "--filter".to_owned(),
+        "test_component".to_owned(),
+        "--config".to_owned(),
+        "implement".to_owned(),
+        "no-bindgen-comment".to_owned(),
+    ];
 
-    command.args([
-        "run",
-        "-p",
-        "riddle",
-        "--target-dir",
-        "../../../target/test_component", // TODO: workaround for https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/6412
-        "--",
-        "--in",
-        "component.winmd",
-        &metadata_dir,
-        "--out",
-        "src/bindings.rs",
-        "--filter",
-        "test_component",
-        "--config",
-        "implement",
-        "no-bindgen-comment",
-    ]);
-
-    if !command.status().unwrap().success() {
-        panic!("Failed to run riddle");
-    }
+    windows_bindgen::bindgen(&command).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+        panic!(
+            "Failed to run bindgen: {e:?}\nArgs: riddle.exe {args}",
+            args = command.join(" ")
+        )
+    });
 }
diff --git a/crates/tests/component_client/Cargo.toml b/crates/tests/component_client/Cargo.toml
index 621c644c03..f1bbaf78b7 100644
--- a/crates/tests/component_client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/tests/component_client/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ publish = false
 doc = false
 doctest = false
 
+[build-dependencies.windows-bindgen]
+path = "../../libs/bindgen"
+
 [dependencies.windows-core]
 path = "../../libs/core"
 
diff --git a/crates/tests/component_client/build.rs b/crates/tests/component_client/build.rs
index da4fbbf552..815c4e90d7 100644
--- a/crates/tests/component_client/build.rs
+++ b/crates/tests/component_client/build.rs
@@ -1,25 +1,20 @@
 fn main() {
-    let mut command = std::process::Command::new("cargo");
+    let command: Vec<String> = vec![
+        "--in".to_owned(),
+        "../component/component.winmd".to_owned(),
+        format!("{}\\System32\\WinMetadata", env!("windir")),
+        "--out".to_owned(),
+        "src/bindings.rs".to_owned(),
+        "--filter".to_owned(),
+        "test_component".to_owned(),
+        "--config".to_owned(),
+        "no-bindgen-comment".to_owned(),
+    ];
 
-    command.args([
-        "run",
-        "-p",
-        "riddle",
-        "--target-dir",
-        "../../../target/test_component_client", // TODO: workaround for https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/issues/6412
-        "--",
-        "--in",
-        "../component/component.winmd",
-        &format!("{}\\System32\\WinMetadata", env!("windir")),
-        "--out",
-        "src/bindings.rs",
-        "--filter",
-        "test_component",
-        "--config",
-        "no-bindgen-comment",
-    ]);
-
-    if !command.status().unwrap().success() {
-        panic!("Failed to run riddle");
-    }
+    windows_bindgen::bindgen(&command).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+        panic!(
+            "Failed to run bindgen: {e:?}\nArgs: riddle.exe {args}",
+            args = command.join(" ")
+        )
+    });
 }
diff --git a/crates/tests/riddle/Cargo.toml b/crates/tests/riddle/Cargo.toml
index f8a707398c..6b3126191b 100644
--- a/crates/tests/riddle/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/tests/riddle/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,3 +16,6 @@ path = "../../libs/metadata"
 
 [dependencies.tool_lib]
 path = "../../tools/lib"
+
+[dependencies.windows-bindgen]
+path = "../../libs/bindgen"
diff --git a/crates/tests/riddle/src/lib.rs b/crates/tests/riddle/src/lib.rs
index b97c4bbf6d..05dc9a1647 100644
--- a/crates/tests/riddle/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/tests/riddle/src/lib.rs
@@ -8,61 +8,80 @@ mod r#struct;
 mod win32_struct;
 mod winrt_struct;
 
-use std::process::Command;
-
 pub fn run_riddle(name: &str, dialect: &str, etc: &[&str]) -> Vec<windows_metadata::File> {
     let rdl = format!("tests/{name}.rdl");
     let winmd = format!("tests/{name}.winmd");
     let rs = format!("src/{name}.rs");
 
-    let before = std::fs::read_to_string(&rdl).expect("Failed to read input");
+    let before = std::fs::read_to_string(&rdl)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("Failed to read input: {rdl} : {e:?}"));
 
     // Convert .rdl to .winmd
     _ = std::fs::remove_file(&winmd);
-    let mut command = Command::new("cargo");
-    command.args([
-        "run", "-p", "riddle", "--", "--in", &rdl, "--out", &winmd, "--filter", "Test",
-    ]);
-    assert!(command.status().unwrap().success());
+    let command: Vec<String> = vec![
+        "--in".to_owned(),
+        rdl.to_owned(),
+        "--out".to_owned(),
+        winmd.to_owned(),
+        "--filter".to_owned(),
+        "Test".to_owned(),
+    ];
+    run_one_bindgen(&command);
 
     // Convert .winmd back to .rdl
-    std::fs::remove_file(&rdl).expect("Failed to delete output");
-    let mut command = Command::new("cargo");
-    command.args([
-        "run", "-p", "riddle", "--", "--in", &winmd, "--out", &rdl, "--filter", "Test", "--config",
-    ]);
-    command.arg(format!("type={dialect}"));
-    assert!(command.status().unwrap().success());
+    std::fs::remove_file(&rdl).unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("Failed to delete output: {rdl} : {e:?}"));
+    let mut command: Vec<String> = vec![
+        "--in".to_owned(),
+        winmd.to_owned(),
+        "--out".to_owned(),
+        rdl.to_owned(),
+        "--filter".to_owned(),
+        "Test".to_owned(),
+        "--config".to_owned(),
+    ];
+    command.push(format!("type={dialect}"));
+    run_one_bindgen(&command);
 
     // Check that .rdl is unchanged
-    let after = std::fs::read_to_string(&rdl).expect("Failed to read output");
+    let after = std::fs::read_to_string(&rdl)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("Failed to read output: {rdl} : {e:?}"));
     assert_eq!(before, after, "no equal {}", rdl);
 
     // Convert .rdl to .rs
-    std::fs::remove_file(&rs).expect("Failed to delete output");
-    let mut command = Command::new("cargo");
-    command.args([
-        "run",
-        "-p",
-        "riddle",
-        "--",
-        "--in",
-        &rdl,
-        "--out",
-        &rs,
-        "--filter",
-        "Test",
-        "--config",
-        "no-bindgen-comment",
-    ]);
-    command.args(etc);
-    assert!(command.status().unwrap().success());
+    std::fs::remove_file(&rs).unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("Failed to delete output: {rs} : {e:?}"));
+
+    let mut command: Vec<String> = vec![
+        "--in".to_owned(),
+        rdl.to_owned(),
+        "--out".to_owned(),
+        rs.to_owned(),
+        "--filter".to_owned(),
+        "Test".to_owned(),
+        "--config".to_owned(),
+        "no-bindgen-comment".to_owned(),
+    ];
+    command.extend(etc.iter().map(|&s| s.to_owned()));
+    run_one_bindgen(&command);
 
     // Return winmd file for validation
     let mut files = tool_lib::default_metadata();
+    let winmd_bytes =
+        std::fs::read(&winmd).unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("Failed to read winmd: {winmd} : {e:?}"));
     files.push(
-        windows_metadata::File::new(std::fs::read(&winmd).expect("failed to read winmd"))
-            .expect("failed to parse winmd"),
+        windows_metadata::File::new(winmd_bytes)
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("failed to parse winmd: {winmd}")),
     );
     files
 }
+
+fn run_one_bindgen(args: &[String]) -> String {
+    match windows_bindgen::bindgen(args) {
+        Ok(s) => s,
+        Err(e) => {
+            panic!(
+                "Failed to run bindgen: {e:?}\nArgs: riddle.exe {args}",
+                args = args.join(" ")
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}