diff --git a/eden/fs/cli_rs/src/main.rs b/eden/fs/cli_rs/src/main.rs
index 0bc9d9bad8..060c2232c2 100644
--- a/eden/fs/cli_rs/src/main.rs
+++ b/eden/fs/cli_rs/src/main.rs
@@ -19,18 +19,35 @@ use crate::opt::Opt;
 fn process_opt(_opt: Opt) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
-fn fallback() -> Result<()> {
-    let binary = std::env::current_exe().context("unable to locate Python binary")?;
-    let python_binary = binary
-        .parent()
-        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("unable to locate Python binary"))?
-        .join("edenfsctl.real");
-    let mut cmd = Command::new(python_binary);
 
+fn python_fallback() -> Result<Command> {
+    if let Ok(args) = std::env::var("EDENFSCTL_REAL") {
+        // We might get a command starting with python.exe here instead of a simple path.
+        let mut parts = args.split_ascii_whitespace();
+        let binary = parts
+            .next()
+            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("invalid fallback environment variable: {:?}", args))?;
+        let mut cmd = Command::new(binary);
+        cmd.args(parts);
+        Ok(cmd)
+    } else {
+        let binary = std::env::current_exe().context("unable to locate Python binary")?;
+        let python_binary = binary
+            .parent()
+            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("unable to locate Python binary"))?
+            .join("edenfsctl.real");
+        Ok(Command::new(python_binary))
+    }
+}
+
+fn fallback() -> Result<()> {
+    let mut cmd = python_fallback()?;
+    // skip arg0
     cmd.args(std::env::args().skip(1));
 
     #[cfg(windows)]
     {
+        // Windows doesn't have exec, so we have to open a subprocess
         cmd.status()
             .with_context(|| format!("failed to execute: {:?}", cmd))?;
         Ok(())
@@ -38,6 +55,8 @@ fn fallback() -> Result<()> {
 
     #[cfg(unix)]
     {
+        // `.exec()` should take over the process, if we ever get to return this Err, then it means
+        // exec has failed, hence an error.
         Err(cmd.exec()).with_context(|| format!("failed to execute {:?}", cmd))
     }
 }