diff --git a/.github/workflows/python_deploy_dev.yml b/.github/workflows/python_deploy_dev.yml
index ad24eb9..7f4f264 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python_deploy_dev.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python_deploy_dev.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ jobs:
       source-repo-names: '["public-noremote-conda-dev"]'
       conda-channels: '["conda-forge"]'
       publish-repo-names: '["public-noremote-conda-dev"]'
+      build-experimental: true
     secrets:
       JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_URL: ${{ secrets.JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_URL }}
       JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.JFROG_ARTIFACTORY_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 63e0314..d2f5ff6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
+# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
 __pycache__/
 *.py[cod]
 *$py.class
@@ -148,3 +148,4 @@ pyproject-sha.toml
 
 #version ignore
 surface_apps/_version.py
+/_version.json
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 07c3f87..66e65e9 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -118,21 +118,23 @@ style = "pep440"
 vcs = "git"
 
 [tool.poetry-dynamic-versioning.substitution]
-files = ["surface_apps/_version.py", "recipe.yaml"]
+files = ["surface_apps/_version.py", "_version.json"]
 patterns = [
-    { value = '''(^__version__\s*(?::.*?)?=\s*['"])[^'"]*(['"])''', mode = "str" },
-    { value = '''(^\s*version\s*(?::.*?)?:\s*['"])[^'"]*(['"])''', mode = "str" },
+    '''(^__version__\s*(?::.*?)?=\s*['"])[^'"]*(['"])''',
+    '''(^{\s*"version"\s*:\s*")[^"]*("\s*})''',
 ]
 
 [tool.poetry-dynamic-versioning.files."surface_apps/_version.py"]
 persistent-substitution = true
 initial-content = """
-  # Version placeholder that will be replaced during substitution
-  __version__ = "0.0.0"
+  __version__ = "0.0.0.dev0"
 """
 
-[tool.poetry-dynamic-versioning.files."recipe.yaml"]
+[tool.poetry-dynamic-versioning.files."_version.json"]
 persistent-substitution = true
+initial-content = """
+{ "version": "0.0.0.dev0" }
+"""
 
 [tool.conda-lock]
 platforms = ['win-64', 'linux-64']
diff --git a/recipe.yaml b/recipe.yaml
index 2210a57..e2fd9cb 100644
--- a/recipe.yaml
+++ b/recipe.yaml
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ schema_version: 1
 
 context:
   name: "surface-apps"
-  version: "0.0.0.dev0"  # This will be replaced by the actual version in the build process
-  python_min: "3.10"
+  # Extract version from auto-generated _version.json
+  version: ${{ load_from_file("_version.json").version | trim }}
+  python_min: '3.10'
 
 package:
   name: ${{ name|lower }}
diff --git a/tests/version_test.py b/tests/version_test.py
index b4ef96c..3903b31 100644
--- a/tests/version_test.py
+++ b/tests/version_test.py
@@ -10,36 +10,32 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import importlib
+import json
+import re
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 import yaml
-from jinja2 import Template
-from packaging.version import InvalidVersion, Version
+from packaging.version import Version
 
 import surface_apps
 
 
-def get_conda_recipe_version():
-    path = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "recipe.yaml"
+def _get_json_version() -> str:
+    version_json_path = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "_version.json"
+    with version_json_path.open(encoding="utf-8") as file:
+        version_json = json.load(file)
+    return version_json["version"]
 
-    with open(str(path), encoding="utf-8") as file:
-        content = file.read()
 
-    template = Template(content)
-    rendered_yaml = template.render()
-
-    recipe = yaml.safe_load(rendered_yaml)
+def _get_conda_recipe_version_def() -> str:
+    recipe_path = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "recipe.yaml"
 
+    with recipe_path.open(encoding="utf-8") as file:
+        recipe = yaml.safe_load(file)
     return recipe["context"]["version"]
 
 
-def test_version_is_consistent():
-    project_version = Version(surface_apps.__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("surface_apps._version")
@@ -48,6 +44,16 @@ def _version_module_exists():
         return False
 
 
+def test_conda_recipe_version_loads_json():
+    conda_version_def = _get_conda_recipe_version_def()
+    regex = (
+        r"\$\{\{\s*load_from_file\(\s*['\"](_version\.json)['\"]\s*\)"
+        r"\s*\.version\b.*\}\}"
+    )
+    regex_match = re.match(regex, conda_version_def)
+    assert regex_match is not None
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     _version_module_exists(),
     reason="surface_apps._version can be found: package is built",
@@ -65,28 +71,7 @@ def test_fallback_version_is_zero():
     not _version_module_exists(),
     reason="surface_apps._version cannot be found: uses a fallback version",
 )
-def test_conda_version_is_consistent():
+def test_version_json_is_consistent():
     project_version = Version(surface_apps.__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():
-    version = Version(get_conda_recipe_version())
-    assert version is not None
-
-
-def validate_version(version_str):
-    try:
-        version = Version(version_str)
-        return (version.major, version.minor, version.micro, version.pre, version.post)
-    except InvalidVersion:
-        return None
-
-
-def test_version_is_valid():
-    assert validate_version(surface_apps.__version__) is not None
+    json_version = Version(_get_json_version())
+    assert project_version == json_version