diff --git a/compiler/bin-js_of_ocaml/compile.ml b/compiler/bin-js_of_ocaml/compile.ml
index 60a0110b08..cc7b2c34c6 100644
--- a/compiler/bin-js_of_ocaml/compile.ml
+++ b/compiler/bin-js_of_ocaml/compile.ml
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ let run
     } =
   let include_cmis = toplevel && not no_cmis in
   let custom_header = common.Jsoo_cmdline.Arg.custom_header in
+  Config.set_target `JavaScript;
   Jsoo_cmdline.Arg.eval common;
   Linker.reset ();
   (match output_file with
diff --git a/compiler/bin-js_of_ocaml/link.ml b/compiler/bin-js_of_ocaml/link.ml
index 45c2dd0c0e..0cd273b600 100644
--- a/compiler/bin-js_of_ocaml/link.ml
+++ b/compiler/bin-js_of_ocaml/link.ml
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ let f
     ; mklib
     ; toplevel
     } =
+  Config.set_target `JavaScript;
   Jsoo_cmdline.Arg.eval common;
   Linker.reset ();
   let with_output f =
diff --git a/compiler/lib-dynlink/js_of_ocaml_compiler_dynlink.ml b/compiler/lib-dynlink/js_of_ocaml_compiler_dynlink.ml
index 8ff9e3d8eb..583323ab62 100644
--- a/compiler/lib-dynlink/js_of_ocaml_compiler_dynlink.ml
+++ b/compiler/lib-dynlink/js_of_ocaml_compiler_dynlink.ml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ let normalize_bytecode code =
       Bytes.to_string b
 
 let () =
+  Config.set_target `JavaScript;
   let global = J.pure_js_expr "globalThis" in
   Config.Flag.set "use-js-string" (Jsoo_runtime.Sys.Config.use_js_string ());
   Config.Flag.set "effects" (Jsoo_runtime.Sys.Config.effects ());
diff --git a/compiler/lib-runtime-files/gen/gen.ml b/compiler/lib-runtime-files/gen/gen.ml
index bdf330f4e8..7f920cc953 100644
--- a/compiler/lib-runtime-files/gen/gen.ml
+++ b/compiler/lib-runtime-files/gen/gen.ml
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ let rec list_product l =
 let bool = [ true; false ]
 
 let () =
+  Js_of_ocaml_compiler.Config.set_target `JavaScript;
   let () = set_binary_mode_out stdout true in
   match Array.to_list Sys.argv with
   | [] -> assert false
diff --git a/compiler/lib/config.ml b/compiler/lib/config.ml
index aad34fd42c..c49751610f 100644
--- a/compiler/lib/config.ml
+++ b/compiler/lib/config.ml
@@ -183,11 +183,12 @@ end
 
 (****)
 
-let target_ : [ `JavaScript | `Wasm ] option ref = ref None
+let target_ : [ `JavaScript | `Wasm | `None ] ref = ref `None
 
 let target () =
   match !target_ with
-  | Some t -> t
-  | None -> failwith "target was not set"
+  | `None -> failwith "target was not set"
+  | `JavaScript | `Wasm as t -> t
 
-let set_target t = target_ := Some t
+let set_target (t : [ `JavaScript | `Wasm ]) =
+  target_ := (t :> [ `JavaScript | `Wasm | `None ])