diff --git a/internal/pkg/exec.go b/internal/pkg/exec.go
index 244b353b..f1385529 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/exec.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/exec.go
@@ -491,6 +491,104 @@ func (a *execArtifact) makeContainer(
 	return
 }
 
+var (
+	// ErrExecBusy is returned entering [Cache.EnterExec] while another
+	// goroutine has not yet returned from it.
+	ErrExecBusy = errors.New("scratch directories in use")
+	// ErrNotExec is returned for unsupported implementations of [Artifact]
+	// passed to [Cache.EnterExec].
+	ErrNotExec = errors.New("attempting to run a non-exec artifact")
+)
+
+// EnterExec runs the container of an [Artifact] of [KindExec] or [KindExecNet]
+// with its entry point, argument, and standard streams replaced with values
+// supplied by the caller.
+func (c *Cache) EnterExec(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	a Artifact,
+	retainSession bool,
+	stdin io.Reader,
+	stdout, stderr io.Writer,
+	path *check.Absolute,
+	args ...string,
+) (err error) {
+	if !c.inExec.CompareAndSwap(false, true) {
+		return ErrExecBusy
+	}
+	defer c.inExec.Store(false)
+
+	var hostNet bool
+	var e *execArtifact
+	switch f := a.(type) {
+	case *execArtifact:
+		e = f
+
+	case *execNetArtifact:
+		e = &f.execArtifact
+		hostNet = true
+
+	default:
+		return ErrNotExec
+	}
+
+	deps := Collect(a.Dependencies())
+	if _, _, err = c.Cure(&deps); err == nil {
+		return errors.New("unreachable")
+	} else if !IsCollected(err) {
+		return
+	}
+
+	dm := make(map[Artifact]cureRes)
+	for i, p := range deps {
+		var res cureRes
+		res.pathname, res.checksum, err = c.Cure(p)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+		dm[deps[i]] = res
+	}
+
+	scratch := c.base.Append(dirExecScratch)
+	temp, work := scratch.Append("temp"), scratch.Append("work")
+	// work created during makeContainer
+	if err = os.MkdirAll(temp.String(), 0700); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		if chmodErr, removeErr := removeAll(scratch); chmodErr != nil || removeErr != nil {
+			err = errors.Join(err, chmodErr, removeErr)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	var z *container.Container
+	z, err = e.makeContainer(
+		ctx, c.msg,
+		hostNet,
+		temp, work,
+		func(a Artifact) (*check.Absolute, unique.Handle[Checksum]) {
+			if res, ok := dm[a]; ok {
+				return res.pathname, res.checksum
+			}
+			panic(InvalidLookupError(c.Ident(a).Value()))
+		},
+		c.Ident,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	z.Stdin, z.Stdout, z.Stderr = stdin, stdout, stderr
+	z.Path, z.Args = path, args
+	z.RetainSession = retainSession
+
+	if err = z.Start(); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	if err = z.Serve(); err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	return z.Wait()
+}
+
 // cure is like Cure but allows optional host net namespace.
 func (a *execArtifact) cure(f *FContext, hostNet bool) (err error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(f.Unwrap(), a.timeout)
diff --git a/internal/pkg/pkg.go b/internal/pkg/pkg.go
index 9a8dc9fd..a8fb91ba 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/pkg.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/pkg.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 	"unique"
@@ -466,6 +467,11 @@ const (
 	// pathnames allocated during [Cache.Cure].
 	dirTemp = "temp"
 
+	// dirExecScratch is the directory name appended to Cache.base for scratch
+	// space setting up the container started by [Cache.EnterExec]. Exclusivity
+	// via Cache.inExec.
+	dirExecScratch = "scratch"
+
 	// checksumLinknamePrefix is prepended to the encoded [Checksum] value
 	// of an [Artifact] when creating a symbolic link to dirChecksum.
 	checksumLinknamePrefix = "../" + dirChecksum + "/"
@@ -481,7 +487,7 @@ type cureRes struct {
 // subject to the cures limit. Values pointed to by result addresses are safe
 // to access after the [sync.WaitGroup] associated with this pendingArtifactDep
 // is done. pendingArtifactDep must not be reused or modified after it is sent
-// to Cache.cureDep.
+// to cure.
 type pendingArtifactDep struct {
 	// Dependency artifact populated during [Cache.Cure].
 	a Artifact
@@ -553,6 +559,9 @@ type Cache struct {
 	unlock func()
 	// Synchronises calls to Close.
 	closeOnce sync.Once
+
+	// Whether EnterExec has not yet returned.
+	inExec atomic.Bool
 }
 
 // IsStrict returns whether the [Cache] strictly verifies checksums.