diff --git a/charmcraft/dispatch.py b/charmcraft/dispatch.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d2126c9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/charmcraft/dispatch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# Copyright 2024 Canonical Ltd.
+#
+# Licensed 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.
+#
+# For further info, check https://github.com/canonical/charmcraft
+"""Module for helping with creating a dispatch script for charms."""
+
+import pathlib
+
+import craft_cli
+
+from charmcraft import const
+
+DISPATCH_SCRIPT_TEMPLATE = """\
+#!/bin/sh
+dispatch_path="$(dirname $(realpath $0))"
+python_path="${{dispatch_path}}/venv/bin/python"
+if [ ! -e "${{python_path}}" ]; then
+    ln -s $(which python3) "${{python_path}}"
+fi
+
+# Add charm lib and source directories to PYTHONPATH so the charm can import
+# libraries and its own modules as expected.
+export PYTHONPATH="${{dispatch_path}}/lib:${{dispatch_path}}/src"
+
+# Add the charm's lib and usr/lib directories to LD_LIBRARY_PATH, allowing
+# staged packages to be discovered by the dynamic linker.
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${{dispatch_path}}/usr/lib:${{dispatch_path}}/lib:${{dispatch_path}}/usr/lib/$(uname -m)-linux-gnu"
+
+exec "${{python_path}}" "${{dispatch_path}}/{entrypoint}"
+"""
+
+
+def create_dispatch(*, prime_dir: pathlib.Path, entrypoint: str = "src/charm.py") -> bool:
+    """If the charm has no hooks or dispatch, create a dispatch file.
+
+    :param prime_dir: the prime directory to inspect and create the file in.
+    :returns: True if the file was created, False otherwise.
+    """
+    dispatch_path = prime_dir / const.DISPATCH_FILENAME
+    hooks_path = prime_dir / const.HOOKS_DIRNAME
+
+    if hooks_path.is_dir() or dispatch_path.is_file():
+        return False
+
+    if not (prime_dir / entrypoint).exists():
+        return False
+
+    craft_cli.emit.progress("Creating dispatch file")
+    dispatch_path.write_text(DISPATCH_SCRIPT_TEMPLATE.format(entrypoint=entrypoint))
+    dispatch_path.chmod(mode=0o755)
+
+    return True
diff --git a/charmcraft/services/lifecycle.py b/charmcraft/services/lifecycle.py
index 4989793c1..b932e0753 100644
--- a/charmcraft/services/lifecycle.py
+++ b/charmcraft/services/lifecycle.py
@@ -16,10 +16,15 @@
 """Service class for running craft lifecycle commands."""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from typing import cast
+
+import craft_parts
 from craft_application import services, util
 from craft_cli import emit
 from overrides import override
 
+from charmcraft import dispatch
+
 
 class LifecycleService(services.LifecycleService):
     """Business logic for lifecycle builds."""
@@ -55,3 +60,11 @@ def _get_build_for(self) -> str:
                 return arch
 
         return host_arch
+
+    @override
+    def post_prime(self, step_info: craft_parts.StepInfo) -> bool:
+        return_value = super().post_prime(step_info)
+
+        project_info = cast(craft_parts.ProjectInfo, step_info.project_info)
+        # TODO: include an entrypoint override. #1896
+        return return_value | dispatch.create_dispatch(prime_dir=project_info.dirs.prime_dir)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 7645ca2aa..50323ed7e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -330,6 +330,17 @@ lint.ignore = [
 # Allow Pydantic's `@validator` decorator to trigger class method treatment.
 classmethod-decorators = ["pydantic.validator"]
 
+[tool.ruff.lint.pydocstyle]
+ignore-decorators = [  # Functions with these decorators don't have to have docstrings.
+    "typing.overload",  # Default configuration
+    # The next four are all variations on override, so child classes don't have to
+    # repeat parent classes' docstrings.
+    "overrides.override",
+    "overrides.overrides",
+    "typing.override",
+    "typing_extensions.override",
+]
+
 [tool.ruff.lint.per-file-ignores]
 "tests/**.py" = [  # Some things we want for the moin project are unnecessary in tests.
     "D",  # Ignore docstring rules in tests
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_dispatch.py b/tests/unit/test_dispatch.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e52170f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_dispatch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+# Copyright 2024 Canonical Ltd.
+#
+# Licensed 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.
+#
+# For further info, check https://github.com/canonical/charmcraft
+"""Unit tests for dispatch script creation."""
+
+
+import pathlib
+
+import pytest
+import pytest_check
+
+from charmcraft import const, dispatch
+
+
+def test_create_dispatch_hooks_exist(fake_path: pathlib.Path):
+    """Test that nothing happens if a hooks directory exists."""
+    prime_dir = fake_path / "prime"
+    (prime_dir / const.HOOKS_DIRNAME).mkdir(parents=True)
+
+    pytest_check.is_false(dispatch.create_dispatch(prime_dir=prime_dir))
+
+    pytest_check.is_false((prime_dir / const.DISPATCH_FILENAME).exists())
+
+
+def test_create_dispatch_dispatch_exists(fake_path: pathlib.Path):
+    """Test that nothing happens if dispatch file already exists."""
+    prime_dir = fake_path / "prime"
+    prime_dir.mkdir()
+    dispatch_path = prime_dir / const.DISPATCH_FILENAME
+    dispatch_path.write_text("DO NOT OVERWRITE")
+
+    pytest_check.is_false(dispatch.create_dispatch(prime_dir=prime_dir))
+
+    pytest_check.equal(dispatch_path.read_text(), "DO NOT OVERWRITE")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("entrypoint", ["src/charm.py", "src/some_entrypoint.py"])
+def test_create_dispatch_no_entrypoint(fake_path: pathlib.Path, entrypoint):
+    prime_dir = fake_path / "prime"
+    prime_dir.mkdir()
+    dispatch_path = prime_dir / const.DISPATCH_FILENAME
+
+    pytest_check.is_false(dispatch.create_dispatch(prime_dir=prime_dir, entrypoint=entrypoint))
+
+    pytest_check.is_false(dispatch_path.exists())
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("entrypoint", ["src/charm.py", "src/some_entrypoint.py"])
+def test_create_dispatch_with_entrypoint(fake_path: pathlib.Path, entrypoint):
+    prime_dir = fake_path / "prime"
+    prime_dir.mkdir()
+    entrypoint = prime_dir / entrypoint
+    entrypoint.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    entrypoint.touch()
+    dispatch_file = prime_dir / const.DISPATCH_FILENAME
+    expected = dispatch.DISPATCH_SCRIPT_TEMPLATE.format(entrypoint=entrypoint)
+
+    pytest_check.is_true(dispatch.create_dispatch(prime_dir=prime_dir, entrypoint=entrypoint))
+    pytest_check.equal(dispatch_file.read_text(), expected)