diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 69f88fd47..a520ac4b1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -179,4 +179,7 @@ geodata.conf
 gldcore/autotest/output.csv
 python_extras/example/output.csv
 *.egg
+gridlabd.egg-info/
+gldcore/link/python/dist/
+gldcore/link/python/gridlabd.egg-info/
 gridlabd.egg-*
diff --git a/gldcore/link/python/Makefile.mk b/gldcore/link/python/Makefile.mk
index db439a638..f38ea0d71 100644
--- a/gldcore/link/python/Makefile.mk
+++ b/gldcore/link/python/Makefile.mk
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
-python-install: gldcore/build.h
-	@echo "python3 $(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python/setup.py --quiet install"
-	@( export SRCDIR=$(top_srcdir) ; python3 $(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python/setup.py --quiet install )
+$(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python/dist/gridlabd-$(notdir $(prefix))-.tar.gz: gldcore/build.h
+	@echo "building $@"
+	@python3 -m pip install build 1>/dev/null
+	@( export SRCDIR=$(realpath $(top_srcdir)) ; python3 -m build $(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python 1>/dev/null )
+
+python-install: $(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python/dist/gridlabd-$(notdir $(prefix))-.tar.gz
+	@echo "installing $@"
+	@python3 -m pip install --ignore-installed $(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python/dist/gridlabd-*.whl
 
 python-clean:
-	@echo "python3 $(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python/setup.py clean"
-	@( export SRCDIR=$(top_srcdir) ; python3 $(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python/setup.py clean )
-	-rm -rf $(SRCDIR)/build/lib.*
+	@echo "uninstalling $(top_srcdir)/gldcore/link/python"
+	@python3 -m pip uninstall gridlabd -y || (echo "Use '. utilities/cleanwc' instead to clean this build."; exit 1)
diff --git a/gldcore/link/python/setup.py b/gldcore/link/python/setup.py
index 52c278919..5e09ff875 100644
--- a/gldcore/link/python/setup.py
+++ b/gldcore/link/python/setup.py
@@ -137,9 +137,12 @@ def get_version(path=None):
 				if info[0] == "#define":
 					if info[1] == "BUILDNUM":
 						build = int(info[2])
+					elif info[1] == "BRANCH":
+						branch = info[2].replace('"','')
 	except:
 		build = 0
-	return '%d.%d.%d.%d' % (major,minor,patch,build)
+	# TODO: this needs to be revised to match PEP 440
+	return '%d.%d.%d-%d-%s' % (major,minor,patch,build,branch)
 
 setup (	name = 'gridlabd',
 		version = get_version(),