diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 052dc9336..5cb6fcc40 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -144,3 +144,6 @@ dmypy.json
 
 # tempory generated files
 pyproject-sha.toml
+
+#version ignore
+simpeg_drivers/_version.py
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b5e4bb638..ea1d6cb13 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
-[build-system]
-requires = ["poetry-core>=1.8.0"]
-build-backend = "poetry.core.masonry.api"
+requires = ["poetry-core>=1.8.0", "poetry-dynamic-versioning>=1.9.0,<2.0.0"]
+build-backend = "poetry_dynamic_versioning.backend"
 
 [project]
 name = "simpeg-drivers"
-version = "0.4.0a1"
 requires-python = '>=3.10,<4.0'
 
 description = "Application to run SimPEG inversions with geoh5 files from Geoscience Analyst."
@@ -24,7 +22,7 @@ keywords = [
     "simpeg",
 ]
 readme = "package.rst"
-dynamic = ["dependencies", "classifiers"]
+dynamic = ["version", "dependencies", "classifiers"]
 authors = [{ name = "Mira Geoscience", email = "support@mirageoscience.com" }]
 maintainers = [
   { name = "Benjamin Kary", email = "benjamink@mirageoscience.com" },
@@ -64,6 +62,8 @@ include = [
     { path = "docs/**/THIRD_PARTY_SOFTWARE.rst" },
 ]
 
+version = "0.0.0.dev0"
+
 [tool.poetry.dependencies]
 # note: py-deps-clock defines custom mapping from dask to dask-core
 dask = ">=2025.3, <2025.4.dev"  # also in simpeg[dask]
@@ -143,6 +143,34 @@ pydantic = ">=2.5.2, <3.0.dev"  # from geoh5py, geoapps-utils
 pymatsolver = ">=0.3.0, <0.4.dev"  # from simpeg
 zarr = ">=2.14.2, <2.15.dev"  # from simpeg[dask]
 
+[tool.poetry.requires-plugins]
+poetry-dynamic-versioning = { version = ">=1.0.0,<2.0.0", extras = ["plugin"] }
+
+[tool.poetry-dynamic-versioning]
+bump = true
+enable = true
+fix-shallow-repository = true
+strict = true
+style = "pep440"
+vcs = "git"
+
+[tool.poetry-dynamic-versioning.substitution]
+files = ["simpeg_drivers/_version.py", "recipe.yaml"]
+patterns = [
+    { value = '''(^__version__\s*(?::.*?)?=\s*['"])[^'"]*(['"])''', mode = "str" },
+    { value = '''(^\s*version\s*(?::.*?)?:\s*['"])[^'"]*(['"])''', mode = "str" },
+]
+
+[tool.poetry-dynamic-versioning.files."simpeg_drivers/_version.py"]
+persistent-substitution = true
+initial-content = """
+  # Version placeholder that will be replaced during substitution
+  __version__ = "0.0.0"
+"""
+
+[tool.poetry-dynamic-versioning.files."recipe.yaml"]
+persistent-substitution = true
+
 [tool.ruff]
 target-version = "py310"
 
diff --git a/recipe.yaml b/recipe.yaml
index 9fa5195a3..6198bf422 100644
--- a/recipe.yaml
+++ b/recipe.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ schema_version: 1
 
 context:
   name: "simpeg-drivers"
-  version: "0.4.0a1"
+  version: "0.0.0.dev0"  # This will be replaced by the actual version in the build process
   python_min: "3.10"
 
 package:
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ build:
 requirements:
   host:
     - python 3.10.*
-    - poetry-core >=1.0.0
+    - poetry-core >=1.8.0
+    - poetry-dynamic-versioning >=1.9, <2.0.dev
     - setuptools
     - pip
   run:
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ tests:
   - python:
       imports:
         - simpeg_drivers
+        - simpeg_drivers._version
         - simpeg
         - geoh5py
         - dask
diff --git a/simpeg_drivers/__init__.py b/simpeg_drivers/__init__.py
index 0658a454f..5091c2f51 100644
--- a/simpeg_drivers/__init__.py
+++ b/simpeg_drivers/__init__.py
@@ -11,12 +11,18 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import logging
+from importlib.metadata import PackageNotFoundError, version
+from pathlib import Path
 
-__version__ = "0.4.0a1"
 
+try:
+    from ._version import __version__
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    from datetime import datetime
 
-import logging
-from pathlib import Path
+    __date_str = datetime.today().strftime("%Y%m%d")
+    __version__ = "0.0.0.dev0+" + __date_str
 
 
 logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
diff --git a/simpeg_drivers/uijson.py b/simpeg_drivers/uijson.py
index 9593fd9fd..8d55ad328 100644
--- a/simpeg_drivers/uijson.py
+++ b/simpeg_drivers/uijson.py
@@ -22,7 +22,16 @@
 
 
 class SimPEGDriversUIJson(BaseUIJson):
-    """Base class for simpeg-drivers UIJson."""
+    @staticmethod
+    def _version_public(value):
+        # Always return only the public part of the version string
+        return str(Version(str(value)).public)
+
+    from pydantic import field_serializer
+
+    @field_serializer("version")
+    def serialize_version(self, value):
+        return self._version_public(value)
 
     icon: str
     documentation: str = "https://mirageoscience-simpeg-drivers.readthedocs-hosted.com/en/stable/intro.html"
@@ -30,16 +39,21 @@ class SimPEGDriversUIJson(BaseUIJson):
     @field_validator("version", mode="before")
     @classmethod
     def verify_and_update_version(cls, value: str) -> str:
-        package_version = cls.comparable_version(simpeg_drivers.__version__)
+        if not value:
+            value = simpeg_drivers.__version__
         input_version = cls.comparable_version(value)
-        if input_version != package_version:
+        input_public = Version(str(value)).public
+        package_public = Version(simpeg_drivers.__version__).public
+        if cls.comparable_version(input_public) != cls.comparable_version(
+            package_public
+        ):
             logger.warning(
                 "Provided ui.json file version '%s' does not match the current "
                 "simpeg-drivers version '%s'. This may lead to unpredictable behavior.",
                 value,
                 simpeg_drivers.__version__,
             )
-        return value
+        return input_public
 
     @staticmethod
     def comparable_version(value: str) -> str:
@@ -67,11 +81,12 @@ def comparable_version(value: str) -> str:
 
     @classmethod
     def write_default(cls):
-        """Write the default UIJson file to disk with updated version."""
+        """Write the default UIJson file to disk with updated version (public only)."""
 
         with open(cls.default_ui_json, encoding="utf-8") as file:
             data = json.load(file)
-            data["version"] = simpeg_drivers.__version__
+            # Always write only the public part of the version (no local tag)
+            data["version"] = str(Version(simpeg_drivers.__version__).public)
 
         uijson = cls.model_construct(**data)
         data = uijson.model_dump_json(indent=4, exclude_unset=False)
diff --git a/tests/version_test.py b/tests/version_test.py
index 71fd152fe..7f967740e 100644
--- a/tests/version_test.py
+++ b/tests/version_test.py
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import importlib
 from pathlib import Path
 
-import tomli as toml
+import pytest
 import yaml
 from jinja2 import Template
 from packaging.version import InvalidVersion, Version
@@ -21,15 +22,6 @@
 import simpeg_drivers
 
 
-def get_pyproject_version():
-    path = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "pyproject.toml"
-
-    with open(str(path), encoding="utf-8") as file:
-        pyproject = toml.loads(file.read())
-
-    return pyproject["project"]["version"]
-
-
 def get_conda_recipe_version():
     path = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "recipe.yaml"
 
@@ -45,10 +37,45 @@ def get_conda_recipe_version():
 
 
 def test_version_is_consistent():
-    assert simpeg_drivers.__version__ == get_pyproject_version()
-    normalized_conda_version = Version(get_conda_recipe_version())
-    normalized_version = Version(simpeg_drivers.__version__)
-    assert normalized_conda_version == normalized_version
+    project_version = Version(simpeg_drivers.__version__)
+    conda_version = Version(get_conda_recipe_version())
+    assert conda_version.base_version == project_version.base_version
+
+
+def _version_module_exists():
+    try:
+        importlib.import_module("simpeg_drivers._version")
+
+        return True
+    except ModuleNotFoundError:
+        return False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    _version_module_exists(),
+    reason="simpeg_drivers._version can be found: package is built",
+)
+def test_fallback_version_is_zero():
+    project_version = Version(simpeg_drivers.__version__)
+    fallback_version = Version("0.0.0.dev0")
+    assert project_version.base_version == fallback_version.base_version
+    assert project_version.pre is None
+    assert project_version.post is None
+    assert project_version.dev == fallback_version.dev
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not _version_module_exists(),
+    reason="simpeg_drivers._version cannot be found: uses a fallback version",
+)
+def test_conda_version_is_consistent():
+    project_version = Version(simpeg_drivers.__version__)
+    conda_version = Version(get_conda_recipe_version())
+
+    assert conda_version.is_devrelease == project_version.is_devrelease
+    assert conda_version.is_prerelease == project_version.is_prerelease
+    assert conda_version.is_postrelease == project_version.is_postrelease
+    assert conda_version == project_version
 
 
 def test_conda_version_is_pep440():