diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 87fcd86..0cd6248 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -70,10 +70,8 @@ jobs:
         run: bash scripts/parity-check.sh
 
       - name: Build WASM
-        env:
-          # The script defaults to /usr/lib/emscripten/emcc; the runner gets
-          # emcc on PATH via setup-emsdk. Override.
-          EMCC: emcc
+        # setup-emsdk puts emcc on PATH; build-wasm.sh picks it up via
+        # `command -v emcc`. No EMCC override needed.
         run: bash scripts/build-wasm.sh
 
       - name: Parity check (native vs WASM)
diff --git a/scripts/build-wasm.sh b/scripts/build-wasm.sh
index 89e2239..65f2c0a 100755
--- a/scripts/build-wasm.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-wasm.sh
@@ -18,9 +18,16 @@ ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
 OUT="$ROOT/manifold/public"
 SRC="$ROOT/nisps/wasm/bindings.cpp"
 
+# EMCC may be a bare command name on PATH (emsdk installs it that way) or an
+# absolute path. Resolve the former before the existence check, which otherwise
+# looks for a file of that name in the CWD and always fails.
+if [[ "$EMCC" != */* ]]; then
+  EMCC="$(command -v "$EMCC" || echo "$EMCC")"
+fi
+
 if [[ ! -x "$EMCC" && ! -f "$EMCC" ]]; then
   echo "[build-wasm] emcc not found at $EMCC" >&2
-  echo "[build-wasm] set EMCC=/path/to/emcc and retry." >&2
+  echo "[build-wasm] set EMCC=/path/to/emcc (or put emcc on PATH) and retry." >&2
   exit 2
 fi