diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 7484cf2ac466d2a8e7e9afe3c36cb6fcb976dbe5..c6445774ad339276902fb546525337f55c34ffa8 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -42,7 +42,13 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.build.Builder) void {
         exe.addCSourceFile("./libs/yaml/src/scanner.c", &.{});
         exe.addCSourceFile("./libs/yaml/src/writer.c", &.{});
 
-        exe.addPackagePath("zigmod", "./src/lib.zig");
+        exe.addPackage(.{
+            .name = "zigmod",
+            .path = .{ .path = "./src/lib.zig" },
+            .dependencies = &[_]std.build.Pkg{
+                .{ .name = "zfetch", .path = .{ .path = "src/zfetch_stub.zig" } },
+            },
+        });
     } else {
         deps.addAllTo(exe);
     }
diff --git a/src/zfetch_stub.zig b/src/zfetch_stub.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..2b6cdbc904341a50ee3e2e9ba1dd18b3c21b952e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/zfetch_stub.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+//! placeholder for bootstrap build
+
+pub fn init() !void {
+    //
+}
+
+pub fn deinit() void {
+    //
+}