diff --git a/.github/actions/build-test-environment/action.yml b/.github/actions/build-test-environment/action.yml
index 1d67bd4297..f9db45665a 100644
--- a/.github/actions/build-test-environment/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/build-test-environment/action.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ runs:
       run: |
         git config --global user.email "CI@example.com"
         git config --global user.name "CI Almighty"
+        pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
         pip install tabulate  # This produces summaries at the end
         pip install -e .[test,extractors,streaming_extractors,test_extractors,full]
       shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/all-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/all-tests.yml
index f7f36281fa..c8d1b97dc9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/all-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/all-tests.yml
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install packages
         run: |
+          pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
           pip install -e .[test_core]
         shell: bash
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/core-test.yml b/.github/workflows/core-test.yml
index 1dbf0f5109..61407581ae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/core-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/core-test.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.email "CI@example.com"
           git config --global user.name "CI Almighty"
           python -m pip install -U pip  # Official recommended way
+          pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
           pip install -e .[test_core]
       - name: Test core with pytest
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-to-pypi.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-to-pypi.yml
index e2f65444df..bf3ea02f3f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-to-pypi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-to-pypi.yml
@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies for testing
         run: |
           python -m pip install -U pip  # Official recommended way
+          pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
           pip install pytest
           pip install zarr
-          pip install setuptools wheel twine build
+          pip install wheel twine build
           pip install -e .[test_core]
       - name: Test core with pytest
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_containers_docker.yml b/.github/workflows/test_containers_docker.yml
index 211db5f775..bc8d362713 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_containers_docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_containers_docker.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
           python -m pip install -U pip  # Official recommended way
+          pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
           pip install pytest
           pip install -e .[full]
           pip install docker
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_containers_singularity.yml b/.github/workflows/test_containers_singularity.yml
index 00941215b1..1c84be3eac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_containers_singularity.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_containers_singularity.yml
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
           python -m pip install -U pip  # Official recommended way
+          pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
           pip install pytest
           pip install -e .[full]
           pip install spython
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_containers_singularity_gpu.yml b/.github/workflows/test_containers_singularity_gpu.yml
index d9ade3eda2..a268b6686c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_containers_singularity_gpu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_containers_singularity_gpu.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install -y wget squashfs-tools
           python -m pip install -U pip  # Official recommended way
+          pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
           pip install pytest
           pip install -e .[full]
           pip install spython
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_imports.yml b/.github/workflows/test_imports.yml
index a2631f6eb7..9438f419c4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_imports.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_imports.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.email "CI@example.com"
           git config --global user.name "CI Almighty"
           python -m pip install -U pip  # Official recommended way
+          pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
           pip install .  # This should install core only
       - name: Profile Imports
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_kilosort4.yml b/.github/workflows/test_kilosort4.yml
index 10ec9532fe..b009416c8d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_kilosort4.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_kilosort4.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
+          pip install --upgrade "setuptools<81.0.0"
           pip install requests packaging
           pip install .
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6cc950d4df..49ae59ccad 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [build-system]
-requires = ["setuptools>=78.0.2"]
+requires = ["setuptools>=78.0.2,<81.0.0"]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [tool.setuptools]