diff --git a/.flake8 b/.flake8
index 2ddf68b7..be4b41e7 100644
--- a/.flake8
+++ b/.flake8
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [flake8]
 max-line-length = 120
 exclude =
-    ./build/**
-
+    sdk/python/src/zrok_api/*
+    sdk/python/src/test/*
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-wheels.yml b/.github/workflows/build-wheels.yml
index 381e5d3b..3f7f537a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-wheels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-wheels.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: build wheels
+name: Publish Python Distributions
 
 on:
   release:
@@ -23,83 +23,86 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-  build_wheels:
+  build_distributions:
+    name: Building Python Distributions
     needs: enforce_stable_semver
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     defaults:
       run:
         working-directory: sdk/python/src
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        spec:
-          - { name: 'linux x86_64', runner: ubuntu-20.04, target: manylinux_2_27_x86_64 }
-          - { name: 'macOS x86_64', runner: macos-13, target: macosx_10_14_x86_64 }
-          - { name: 'Windows x86_64', runner: windows-2019, target: win_amd64 }
-    name: building ${{ matrix.spec.name }}
-    runs-on: ${{ matrix.spec.runner }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - name: Setup Python
+      - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: '3.13'
+          cache: 'pip'
 
-      - name: Install Python Tools
-        run: python -m pip install -U pip setuptools
-
-      - name: Build distro
+      - name: Build Python distributions
         env:
           ZROK_VERSION: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
           ZROK_PY_NAME: ${{ vars.ZROK_PY_NAME || null }}
+        shell: bash
         run: |
-          python setup.py sdist
+
+          set -o pipefail 
+          set -o xtrace
+
+          # Install build requirements
+          pip install --upgrade pip
+          pip install -r build-requirements.txt
+          
+          # Build source distribution and wheel
+          python -m build
+          
+          # List built distributions
+          ls -lAR ./dist
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
-        if: startsWith(matrix.spec.name, 'linux')
         with:
-          name: zrok_sdk_${{ matrix.spec.target }}
-          path: dist/*
+          name: zrok_sdk_distributions
+          path: sdk/python/src/dist/*
 
-  publish-testpypi:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
-    needs: [ build_wheels ]
+  publish_testpypi:
+    name: Publish TestPyPI
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    needs: [ build_distributions ]
     permissions:
-          id-token: write
+      id-token: write
     steps:
       - name: Download artifacts
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
-          path: ./dist
+          path: sdk/python/src/dist
           merge-multiple: true
-          pattern: zrok_sdk_*
+          pattern: zrok_sdk_distributions
 
-      - name: Publish wheels (TestPYPI)
+      - name: Publish Distributions to TestPyPI
         uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
         with:
           repository-url: https://test.pypi.org/legacy/
-          packages-dir: dist
+          packages-dir: sdk/python/src/dist
           skip-existing: true
           verbose: true
 
-  publish-pypi:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
-    needs: [ publish-testpypi ]
+  publish_pypi:
+    name: Publish PyPI
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    needs: [ publish_testpypi ]
     permissions:
-          id-token: write
+      id-token: write
     steps:
       - name: Download artifacts
         uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
         with:
-          path: ./dist
+          path: sdk/python/src/dist
           merge-multiple: true
-          pattern: zrok_sdk_*
+          pattern: zrok_sdk_distributions
 
-      - name: Publish wheels (PyPI)
+      - name: Publish Distributions to PyPI
         uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
         with:
-          packages-dir: dist
+          packages-dir: sdk/python/src/dist
           verbose: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
index d947327a..62a75d2d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
@@ -61,19 +61,6 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: go test -v ./...
 
-      - name: setup python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v3
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.13'
-
-      - name: python deps
-        shell: bash
-        run: python -m pip install -U pip flake8
-
-      - name: python lint
-        shell: bash
-        run: flake8 sdk/python/src
-
       - name: solve GOBIN
         id: solve_go_bin
         shell: bash
@@ -89,14 +76,14 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   pytest:
-
+    name: Test the Python SDK
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
-    defaults:
-      run:
-        working-directory: sdk/python/src
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version: ["3.10", "3.11", "3.12", "3.13"]
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: sdk/python
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -114,9 +101,10 @@ jobs:
           set -o xtrace
 
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-          pip install -e "$PWD"
-          pip install -r requirements.txt
-          pip install -r test-requirements.txt
+          pip install -r src/requirements.txt
+          pip install -r src/test-requirements.txt
+          pip install -r src/build-requirements.txt
+          pip install -e src/
 
       - name: Test with pytest
         shell: bash
@@ -125,7 +113,16 @@ jobs:
           set -o pipefail
           set -o xtrace
 
-          pytest --cov=zrok_api --verbose 
+          pytest --cov=zrok_api --verbose src/
+
+      - name: Lint the Python SDK
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+
+          set -o pipefail
+          set -o xtrace
+
+          flake8 .
 
   # build a release candidate container image for branches named "main" or like "v*"
   rc-container-build:
diff --git a/sdk/python/src/build-requirements.txt b/sdk/python/src/build-requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9ae847b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/python/src/build-requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+build
+wheel
+versioneer
diff --git a/sdk/python/src/pyproject.toml b/sdk/python/src/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..28c36983
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/python/src/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools>=42", "wheel", "versioneer>=0.28"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
diff --git a/sdk/python/src/setup.cfg b/sdk/python/src/setup.cfg
index a23d00c4..94902a7d 100644
--- a/sdk/python/src/setup.cfg
+++ b/sdk/python/src/setup.cfg
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [metadata]
-name = zrok
+# "name" property is determined by setup.py based on environment variable
 author = NetFoundry
 author_email = developers@openziti.org
 description = zrok Python SDK