diff --git a/crates/wit-component/tests/components.rs b/crates/wit-component/tests/components.rs
index 1dc8bb80d3..dde3fa3c8a 100644
--- a/crates/wit-component/tests/components.rs
+++ b/crates/wit-component/tests/components.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
+use anyhow::Result;
 use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
 use std::{fs, path::Path};
 use wasm_encoder::{Encode, Section};
@@ -99,11 +99,7 @@ fn read_core_module(path: &Path) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
         UnresolvedPackage::parse_file(&interface)?,
         &Default::default(),
     )?;
-    let doc = *resolve.packages[pkg].documents.iter().next().unwrap().1;
-    let doc = &resolve.documents[doc];
-    let world = doc
-        .default_world
-        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("no default world specified"))?;
+    let world = resolve.select_world(pkg, None)?;
     let encoded = wit_component::metadata::encode(&resolve, world, StringEncoding::UTF8)?;
 
     let section = wasm_encoder::CustomSection {
diff --git a/crates/wit-parser/src/resolve.rs b/crates/wit-parser/src/resolve.rs
index 49d97693a2..e178de10fe 100644
--- a/crates/wit-parser/src/resolve.rs
+++ b/crates/wit-parser/src/resolve.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use crate::{
     Document, DocumentId, Error, Function, Interface, InterfaceId, Results, Type, TypeDef,
     TypeDefKind, TypeId, TypeOwner, UnresolvedPackage, World, WorldId, WorldItem,
 };
-use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
+use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Result};
 use id_arena::{Arena, Id};
 use indexmap::{IndexMap, IndexSet};
 use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
@@ -376,6 +376,65 @@ impl Resolve {
             .push(interface.name.as_ref()?);
         Some(base.to_string())
     }
+
+    /// Attempts to locate a default world for the `pkg` specified within this
+    /// [`Resolve`]. Optionally takes a string-based `world` "specifier" to
+    /// resolve the world.
+    ///
+    /// This is intended for use by bindings generators and such as the default
+    /// logic for locating a world within a package used for binding. The
+    /// `world` argument is typically a user-specified argument (which again is
+    /// optional and not required) where the `pkg` is determined ambiently by
+    /// the integration.
+    ///
+    /// If `world` is `None` (e.g. not specified by a user) then the package
+    /// must have exactly one `default world` within its documents, otherwise an
+    /// error will be returned. If `world` is `Some` then it's a `.`-separated
+    /// name where the first element is the name of the document and the second,
+    /// optional, element is the name of the `world`. For example the name `foo`
+    /// would mean the `default world` of the `foo` document. The name `foo.bar`
+    /// would mean the world named `bar` in the `foo` document.
+    pub fn select_world(&self, pkg: PackageId, world: Option<&str>) -> Result<WorldId> {
+        match world {
+            Some(world) => {
+                let mut parts = world.splitn(2, '.');
+                let doc = parts.next().unwrap();
+                let world = parts.next();
+                let doc = *self.packages[pkg]
+                    .documents
+                    .get(doc)
+                    .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("no document named `{doc}` in package"))?;
+                match world {
+                    Some(name) => self.documents[doc]
+                        .worlds
+                        .get(name)
+                        .copied()
+                        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("no world named `{name}` in document")),
+                    None => self.documents[doc]
+                        .default_world
+                        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("no default world in document")),
+                }
+            }
+            None => {
+                if self.packages[pkg].documents.is_empty() {
+                    bail!("no documents found in package")
+                }
+
+                let mut unique_default_world = None;
+                for (_name, doc) in &self.documents {
+                    if let Some(default_world) = doc.default_world {
+                        if unique_default_world.is_some() {
+                            bail!("multiple default worlds found in package, one must be specified")
+                        } else {
+                            unique_default_world = Some(default_world);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
+                unique_default_world.ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("no default world in package"))
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// Structure returned by [`Resolve::merge`] which contains mappings from
diff --git a/src/bin/wasm-tools/component.rs b/src/bin/wasm-tools/component.rs
index fc29813a9f..be3d34bc60 100644
--- a/src/bin/wasm-tools/component.rs
+++ b/src/bin/wasm-tools/component.rs
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ pub struct EmbedOpts {
     /// world`, or it can be a `foo/bar` name where `foo` names a document and
     /// `bar` names a world within that document.
     #[clap(short, long)]
-    world: String,
+    world: Option<String>,
 
     /// Don't read a core wasm module as input, instead generating a "dummy"
     /// module as a placeholder.
@@ -180,25 +180,7 @@ impl EmbedOpts {
             Some(self.io.parse_input_wasm()?)
         };
         let (resolve, id) = parse_wit(&self.wit)?;
-
-        let mut parts = self.world.split('/');
-        let doc = match parts.next() {
-            Some(name) => match resolve.packages[id].documents.get(name) {
-                Some(doc) => *doc,
-                None => bail!("no document named `{name}` in package"),
-            },
-            None => bail!("invalid `--world` argument"),
-        };
-        let world = match parts.next() {
-            Some(name) => match resolve.documents[doc].worlds.get(name) {
-                Some(world) => *world,
-                None => bail!("no world named `{name}` in document"),
-            },
-            None => match resolve.documents[doc].default_world {
-                Some(world) => world,
-                None => bail!("no default world found in document"),
-            },
-        };
+        let world = resolve.select_world(id, self.world.as_deref())?;
 
         let encoded = wit_component::metadata::encode(
             &resolve,