diff --git a/docs/creating-pdf-documents.md b/docs/creating-pdf-documents.md
index 47e4b30d9..47737f198 100644
--- a/docs/creating-pdf-documents.md
+++ b/docs/creating-pdf-documents.md
@@ -87,6 +87,14 @@ See the official documentation for installation instructions for $\LaTeX$ at:
 
 Ensure that you download a full distribution with appropriate libraries installed.
 
+(install-tectonic)=
+
+#### Tectonic as a lightweight alternative
+As an alternative, you can also install [Tectonic](https://tectonic-typesetting.github.io/), "a modernized, complete, self-contained TeX/LaTeX engine, powered by XeTeX and TeXLive".<br>
+> Tectonic automatically downloads support files so you don’t have to install a full LaTeX system in order to start using it. If you start using a new LaTeX package, Tectonic just pulls down the files it needs and continues processing.
+>
+> – [Tectonic Website](https://tectonic-typesetting.github.io/)
+
 % Probably a note in the future about running this remotely?
 
 (rendering-pdfs-with-typst)=
diff --git a/packages/jtex/src/tex/export.ts b/packages/jtex/src/tex/export.ts
index a981930c7..5222aaece 100644
--- a/packages/jtex/src/tex/export.ts
+++ b/packages/jtex/src/tex/export.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 import path from 'node:path';
 import type MystTemplate from 'myst-templates';
 import { createCommand } from '../utils.js';
+import which from 'which';
+
+export function isLatexmkAvailable() {
+  return which.sync('latexmk', { nothrow: true });
+}
+
+export function isTectonicAvailable() {
+  return which.sync('tectonic', { nothrow: true });
+}
 
 export function pdfTexExportCommand(
   texFile: string,
@@ -8,9 +17,13 @@ export function pdfTexExportCommand(
   template?: MystTemplate,
 ): string {
   const templateYml = template?.getValidatedTemplateYml();
-  const engine = templateYml?.build?.engine ?? '-xelatex';
-  const baseCommand = `latexmk -f ${engine} -synctex=1 -interaction=batchmode -file-line-error -latexoption="-shell-escape" ${texFile}`;
-
+  // Use Tectonic by default (https://tectonic-typesetting.github.io)
+  let baseCommand = `tectonic -X compile --keep-intermediates --keep-logs ${texFile}`;
+  // Alternatively, switch to Latexmk with xelatex
+  if (!isTectonicAvailable() && isLatexmkAvailable()) {
+    const engine = templateYml?.build?.engine ?? '-xelatex';
+    baseCommand = `latexmk -f ${engine} -synctex=1 -interaction=batchmode -file-line-error -latexoption="-shell-escape" ${texFile}`;
+  }
   return createCommand(baseCommand, logFile);
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/myst-cli/src/build/pdf/create.ts b/packages/myst-cli/src/build/pdf/create.ts
index bfdcd11d8..93b8ffc41 100644
--- a/packages/myst-cli/src/build/pdf/create.ts
+++ b/packages/myst-cli/src/build/pdf/create.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { uniqueArray } from '../../utils/uniqueArray.js';
 import { logMessagesFromVFile } from '../../utils/logging.js';
 import { createTempFolder } from '../../utils/createTempFolder.js';
 import { cleanOutput } from '../utils/cleanOutput.js';
-import { isLatexmkAvailable, isMakeglossariesAvailable } from './utils.js';
+import { isTectonicAvailable, isLatexmkAvailable, isMakeglossariesAvailable } from './utils.js';
 
 const copyFile = util.promisify(fs.copyFile);
 
@@ -263,10 +263,10 @@ async function runPdfBuildCommand(
   vfile: VFile,
   debugLogsOnly?: boolean,
 ) {
-  if (!isLatexmkAvailable()) {
+  if (!(isTectonicAvailable() || isLatexmkAvailable())) {
     fileError(
       vfile,
-      `⚠️  The "latexmk" command is not available. See documentation on installing LaTeX:\n\n${docLinks.installLatex}`,
+      `⚠️  Neither "tectonic" nor "latexmk" command is available. See documentation on installing LaTeX:\n\n${docLinks.installLatex}\n${docLinks.installTectonic}`,
       { ruleId: RuleId.pdfBuildCommandsAvailable },
     );
   }
diff --git a/packages/myst-cli/src/build/pdf/utils.ts b/packages/myst-cli/src/build/pdf/utils.ts
index 2dbc3c999..7075d888b 100644
--- a/packages/myst-cli/src/build/pdf/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/myst-cli/src/build/pdf/utils.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ export function isLatexmkAvailable() {
   return which.sync('latexmk', { nothrow: true });
 }
 
+export function isTectonicAvailable() {
+  return which.sync('tectonic', { nothrow: true });
+}
+
 export function isMakeglossariesAvailable() {
   return which.sync('makeglossaries', { nothrow: true });
 }
diff --git a/packages/myst-cli/src/docs.ts b/packages/myst-cli/src/docs.ts
index cb6124e6c..a177569b3 100644
--- a/packages/myst-cli/src/docs.ts
+++ b/packages/myst-cli/src/docs.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 export const docLinks = {
   installNode: 'https://nodejs.org/en/download/',
   installLatex: 'https://mystmd.org/guide/creating-pdf-documents#install-latex',
+  installTectonic: 'https://mystmd.org/guide/creating-pdf-documents#install-tectonic'
 };