diff --git a/.github/workflows/conda_python.yaml b/.github/workflows/conda_python.yaml
index d482b8e6f..4b12cb3ff 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/conda_python.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/conda_python.yaml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ jobs:
         run: conda config --set anaconda_upload no
 
       - name: Build
-        run: conda build conda-recipes/python-client --output-folder build_output
+        run: conda build conda-recipes/python-client --output-folder build_output 
 
       - name: Upload all Conda packages
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
diff --git a/conda-recipes/main-library/meta.yaml b/conda-recipes/main-library/meta.yaml
index 2ddc76a6f..8b11b4536 100755
--- a/conda-recipes/main-library/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda-recipes/main-library/meta.yaml
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-package:
-  name: sls_detector_software
-  version: 2025.3.19
-
-
 source:
   path: ../..
 
+{% set version = load_file_regex(load_file = 'VERSION', regex_pattern = '(\d+(?:\.\d+)*(?:[\+\w\.]+))').group(1) %}
+package:
+  name: sls_detector_software
+  version: {{ version }} 
+  
 build:
   number: 0
   binary_relocation: True
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ outputs:
         - libgcc-ng
 
 
-
-
   - name: slsdetgui
     script: copy_gui.sh
     requirements:
diff --git a/conda-recipes/python-client/meta.yaml b/conda-recipes/python-client/meta.yaml
index 3b710151c..c86f401ef 100644
--- a/conda-recipes/python-client/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda-recipes/python-client/meta.yaml
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-package:
-  name: slsdet
-  version: 2025.3.19 #TODO! how to not duplicate this?
-
 source:
   path: ../..
 
+{% set version = load_file_regex(load_file = 'VERSION', regex_pattern = '(\d+(?:\.\d+)*(?:[\+\w\.]+))').group(1) %}
+package:
+  name: slsdet
+  version: {{ version }} 
+
 build:
   number: 0
   script:
@@ -17,7 +18,6 @@ requirements:
     - {{ stdlib("c") }}
     - {{ compiler('cxx') }}
 
-
   host:
     - cmake
     - ninja
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 3d128f18e..8deb25dde 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,27 +1,33 @@
+[tool.scikit-build.metadata.version]
+provider = "scikit_build_core.metadata.regex"
+input = "VERSION"
+regex = '^(?P<version>\d+(?:\.\d+)*(?:[\.\+\w]+)?)$'
+result = "{version}" 
+
 [build-system]
-requires = ["scikit-build-core>=0.10", "pybind11", "numpy"]
+requires = [ "scikit-build-core>=0.10", "pybind11", "numpy",]
 build-backend = "scikit_build_core.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "slsdet"
-version = "2025.3.19"
-
+dynamic = ["version"]
 
 [tool.cibuildwheel]
 before-all = "uname -a"
 
-[tool.scikit-build]
-build.verbose = true
-cmake.build-type = "Release"
-install.components = ["python"]
+[tool.scikit-build.build]
+verbose = true
 
+[tool.scikit-build.cmake]
+build-type = "Release"
+
+[tool.scikit-build.install]
+components = [ "python",]
 
 [tool.scikit-build.cmake.define]
-#Only build the control software and python ext
 SLS_USE_RECEIVER = "OFF"
 SLS_USE_RECEIVER_BINARIES = "OFF"
 SLS_USE_TEXTCLIENT = "OFF"
 SLS_BUILD_SHARED_LIBRARIES = "OFF"
-
 SLS_USE_PYTHON = "ON"
-SLS_INSTALL_PYTHONEXT = "ON"
\ No newline at end of file
+SLS_INSTALL_PYTHONEXT = "ON"
diff --git a/update_version.py b/update_version.py
index c074ae542..6b3e1ebad 100644
--- a/update_version.py
+++ b/update_version.py
@@ -5,7 +5,12 @@ Script to update VERSION file with semantic versioning if provided as an argumen
 """
 
 import sys
-import re
+import os
+
+from packaging.version import Version, InvalidVersion
+
+
+SCRIPT_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 
 def get_version():
 
@@ -14,23 +19,24 @@ def get_version():
         return "0.0.0"
 
     version = sys.argv[1]
-    
-    # Validate that the version argument matches semantic versioning format (X.Y.Z)
-    if not re.match(r'^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$', version):
-        print("Error: Version argument must be in semantic versioning format (X.Y.Z)")
+
+    try:
+        v = Version(version)  # normalizcheck if version follows PEP 440 specification
+        #replace -
+        return version.replace("-", ".")
+    except InvalidVersion as e:
+        print(f"Invalid version {version}. Version format must follow semantic versioning format of python PEP 440 version identification specification.")
         sys.exit(1)
     
-    return version
-
 
 def write_version_to_file(version):
-    with open("VERSION", "w") as version_file:
+    version_file_path = os.path.join(SCRIPT_DIR, "VERSION")
+    with open(version_file_path, "w") as version_file:
         version_file.write(version)
     print(f"Version {version} written to VERSION file.")
 
-
 # Main script
 if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     version = get_version()
-    write_version_to_file(version)
\ No newline at end of file
+    write_version_to_file(version)