diff --git a/python/MANIFEST.in b/python/MANIFEST.in
index a5b7b0b7a..1a0b7b480 100644
--- a/python/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/python/MANIFEST.in
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
 recursive-include vendor *.c *.h *.pxd
 recursive-include src/nanoarrow *.pxd
 recursive-include src/nanoarrow *.h
-include subprojects/arrow-nanoarrow.wrap
 
 exclude bootstrap.py
+exclude generate_dist.py
 exclude src/nanoarrow/*.c
 recursive-exclude src/nanoarrow *.o *.so
diff --git a/python/generate_dist.py b/python/generate_dist.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aabbf6c5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/generate_dist.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+# or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+# distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+# to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+# "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+# specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+import os
+import pathlib
+import shutil
+
+
+def main():
+    src_dir = pathlib.Path(os.environ["MESON_SOURCE_ROOT"]).parent.resolve()
+    dist_dir = pathlib.Path(os.environ["MESON_DIST_ROOT"]).resolve()
+    subproj_dir = dist_dir / "subprojects" / "arrow-nanoarrow"
+
+    if subproj_dir.is_symlink():
+        subproj_dir.unlink()
+
+    subproj_dir.mkdir()
+    shutil.copy(src_dir / "meson.build", subproj_dir / "meson.build")
+    shutil.copy(src_dir / "meson.options", subproj_dir / "meson.options")
+
+    subproj_subproj_dir = subproj_dir / "subprojects"
+    subproj_subproj_dir.mkdir()
+    for f in (src_dir / "subprojects").glob("*.wrap"):
+        shutil.copy(f, subproj_subproj_dir / f.name)
+
+    target_src_dir = subproj_dir / "src"
+    shutil.copytree(src_dir / "src", target_src_dir)
+
+    # this files are only needed by bootstrap.py
+    shutil.copy(src_dir / "CMakeLists.txt", subproj_dir / "CMakeLists.txt")
+    subproj_ci_scripts_dir = subproj_dir / "ci" / "scripts"
+    subproj_ci_scripts_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    shutil.copy(
+        src_dir / "ci" / "scripts" / "bundle.py", subproj_ci_scripts_dir / "bundle.py"
+    )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/python/meson.build b/python/meson.build
index 6c992bd05..4659806f9 100644
--- a/python/meson.build
+++ b/python/meson.build
@@ -35,3 +35,5 @@ project(
 )
 
 subdir('src/nanoarrow')
+
+meson.add_dist_script('python', meson.current_source_dir() / 'generate_dist.py')