diff --git a/src/cffi/api.py b/src/cffi/api.py
index edeb7928..5a474f3d 100644
--- a/src/cffi/api.py
+++ b/src/cffi/api.py
@@ -693,7 +693,8 @@ def emit_c_code(self, filename):
             raise TypeError("emit_c_code() is only for C extension modules, "
                             "not for dlopen()-style pure Python modules")
         recompile(self, module_name, source,
-                  c_file=filename, call_c_compiler=False, **kwds)
+                  c_file=filename, call_c_compiler=False,
+                  uses_ffiplatform=False, **kwds)
 
     def emit_python_code(self, filename):
         from .recompiler import recompile
@@ -705,7 +706,8 @@ def emit_python_code(self, filename):
             raise TypeError("emit_python_code() is only for dlopen()-style "
                             "pure Python modules, not for C extension modules")
         recompile(self, module_name, source,
-                  c_file=filename, call_c_compiler=False, **kwds)
+                  c_file=filename, call_c_compiler=False,
+                  uses_ffiplatform=False, **kwds)
 
     def compile(self, tmpdir='.', verbose=0, target=None, debug=None):
         """The 'target' argument gives the final file name of the
diff --git a/src/cffi/recompiler.py b/src/cffi/recompiler.py
index 3c427754..57781a3c 100644
--- a/src/cffi/recompiler.py
+++ b/src/cffi/recompiler.py
@@ -1529,7 +1529,8 @@ def _patch_for_target(patchlist, target):
 
 def recompile(ffi, module_name, preamble, tmpdir='.', call_c_compiler=True,
               c_file=None, source_extension='.c', extradir=None,
-              compiler_verbose=1, target=None, debug=None, **kwds):
+              compiler_verbose=1, target=None, debug=None,
+              uses_ffiplatform=True, **kwds):
     if not isinstance(module_name, str):
         module_name = module_name.encode('ascii')
     if ffi._windows_unicode:
@@ -1556,7 +1557,10 @@ def recompile(ffi, module_name, preamble, tmpdir='.', call_c_compiler=True,
             else:
                 target = '*'
         #
-        ext = ffiplatform.get_extension(ext_c_file, module_name, **kwds)
+        if uses_ffiplatform:
+            ext = ffiplatform.get_extension(ext_c_file, module_name, **kwds)
+        else:
+            ext = None
         updated = make_c_source(ffi, module_name, preamble, c_file,
                                 verbose=compiler_verbose)
         if call_c_compiler: