diff --git a/easybuild/tools/toolchain/toolchain.py b/easybuild/tools/toolchain/toolchain.py
index e21bd66869..b797db481c 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/toolchain/toolchain.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/toolchain/toolchain.py
@@ -944,7 +944,8 @@ def is_rpath_wrapper(path):
         calls_rpath_args = b'rpath_args.py $CMD' in read_file(path, mode='rb')
         return in_rpath_wrappers_dir and calls_rpath_args
 
-    def prepare_rpath_wrappers(self, rpath_filter_dirs=None, rpath_include_dirs=None):
+    def prepare_rpath_wrappers(self, rpath_filter_dirs=None, rpath_include_dirs=None, new_wrapper_dir=None,
+                               disable_wrapper_log=False, cmdDir=None):
         """
         Put RPATH wrapper script in place for compiler and linker commands
 
@@ -967,7 +968,12 @@ def prepare_rpath_wrappers(self, rpath_filter_dirs=None, rpath_include_dirs=None
                 rpath_filter_dirs.append(lib_stubs_pattern)
 
         # directory where all wrappers will be placed
-        wrappers_dir = os.path.join(tempfile.mkdtemp(), RPATH_WRAPPERS_SUBDIR)
+        if new_wrapper_dir is None:
+            wrappers_dir = os.path.join(tempfile.mkdtemp(), RPATH_WRAPPERS_SUBDIR)
+        else:
+            wrappers_dir = new_wrapper_dir
+            if not os.path.exists(wrappers_dir):
+                os.mkdir(wrappers_dir)
 
         # must also wrap compilers commands, required e.g. for Clang ('gcc' on OS X)?
         c_comps, fortran_comps = self.compilers()
@@ -989,6 +995,15 @@ def prepare_rpath_wrappers(self, rpath_filter_dirs=None, rpath_include_dirs=None
         # create wrappers
         for cmd in nub(c_comps + fortran_comps + ['ld', 'ld.gold', 'ld.bfd']):
             orig_cmd = which(cmd)
+            if cmdDir is not None and os.path.exists(cmdDir):
+                orig_cmd = os.path.join(cmdDir, cmd)
+
+            # TODO: dirty hack to let module-shipped rpath wrappers point to EESSI software layer's ld
+            if cmdDir is not None and "ld" in cmd:
+                orig_cmd = which(cmd, retain_all=True)
+                orig_cmd = [a for a in orig_cmd if "/tmp" not in a][0]
+
+            self.log.debug("orig_cmd: %s", orig_cmd)
 
             if orig_cmd:
                 # bail out early if command already is a wrapped;
@@ -1011,7 +1026,7 @@ def prepare_rpath_wrappers(self, rpath_filter_dirs=None, rpath_include_dirs=None
                     raise EasyBuildError("Refusing the create a fork bomb, which(%s) == %s", cmd, orig_cmd)
 
                 # enable debug mode in wrapper script by specifying location for log file
-                if build_option('debug'):
+                if build_option('debug') and not disable_wrapper_log:
                     rpath_wrapper_log = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), 'rpath_wrapper_%s.log' % cmd)
                 else:
                     rpath_wrapper_log = '/dev/null'
@@ -1027,7 +1042,7 @@ def prepare_rpath_wrappers(self, rpath_filter_dirs=None, rpath_include_dirs=None
                     'wrapper_dir': wrapper_dir,
                 }
                 write_file(cmd_wrapper, cmd_wrapper_txt)
-                adjust_permissions(cmd_wrapper, stat.S_IXUSR)
+                adjust_permissions(cmd_wrapper, stat.S_IXUSR | stat.S_IXGRP | stat.S_IXOTH)
 
                 # prepend location to this wrapper to $PATH
                 setvar('PATH', '%s:%s' % (wrapper_dir, os.getenv('PATH')))
@@ -1036,6 +1051,8 @@ def prepare_rpath_wrappers(self, rpath_filter_dirs=None, rpath_include_dirs=None
             else:
                 self.log.debug("Not installing RPATH wrapper for non-existing command '%s'", cmd)
 
+        return wrappers_dir
+
     def handle_sysroot(self):
         """
         Extra stuff to be done when alternate system root is specified via --sysroot EasyBuild configuration option.
diff --git a/easybuild/tools/toolchain/utilities.py b/easybuild/tools/toolchain/utilities.py
index d9a6c02412..6119422fa9 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/toolchain/utilities.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/toolchain/utilities.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import copy
 import re
 import sys
+import os
 
 import easybuild.tools.toolchain
 from easybuild.base import fancylogger
@@ -148,3 +149,17 @@ def get_toolchain(tc, tcopts, mns=None, tcdeps=None, modtool=None):
     tc_inst.set_options(tcopts)
 
     return tc_inst
+
+
+def create_rpath_wrappers(targetdir, toolchain_name, toolchain_version, rpath_filter_dirs=None,
+                          rpath_include_dirs=None):
+    tc = get_toolchain({'name': toolchain_name, 'version': toolchain_version}, {})
+
+    wrapperpath = tc.prepare_rpath_wrappers(
+            rpath_filter_dirs=rpath_filter_dirs,
+            rpath_include_dirs=rpath_include_dirs,
+            new_wrapper_dir=targetdir,
+            disable_wrapper_log=True,
+            cmdDir=os.path.join(targetdir, '..')
+            )
+    _log.debug("Installed RPATH wrappers in %s" % (str(wrapperpath)))