diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 9a98fdb8..251592b3 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ chs-sw:
 
 vsim-compile:
   stage: build
+  extends:
+    - .cache-deps
+    - .init-env
   needs:
     - generate-rtl
   variables:
diff --git a/.gitlab/common.yml b/.gitlab/common.yml
index 1cc395b4..c22a2b96 100644
--- a/.gitlab/common.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/common.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ variables:
     key:
       files:
         - Bender.lock
-        - requirements.txt
+        - pyproject.toml
     paths:
       - .bender
       - .cache/pip
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a18dbf3b..7ef875ac 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -221,8 +221,7 @@ python-venv: .venv
 .venv:
 	$(BASE_PYTHON) -m venv $@
 	. $@/bin/activate && \
-	python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools && \
-	python -m pip install --cache-dir $(PIP_CACHE_DIR) -r requirements.txt && \
+	python -m pip install --cache-dir $(PIP_CACHE_DIR) . && \
 	python -m pip install --cache-dir $(PIP_CACHE_DIR) $(shell $(BENDER) path floo_noc) --no-deps && \
 	python -m pip install --cache-dir $(PIP_CACHE_DIR) "$(shell $(BENDER) path snitch_cluster)[kernels]"
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd4d68c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# Copyright 2023 ETH Zurich and University of Bologna.
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE for details.
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools<81", "wheel"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[project]
+name = "picobello"
+version = "0.0.0"
+description = "whatever it means"
+readme = "README.md"
+requires-python = ">=3.11"
+authors = [{ name = "Tim Fischer", email = "fischeti@iis.ee.ethz.ch" }]
+dependencies = [
+  # FlooNoC requirements
+  "click",
+  "mako",
+  "matplotlib",
+  "networkx",
+  "pydantic",
+  "ruamel.yaml",
+
+  # Snitch cluster requirements
+  "json5",
+  "jsonref",
+  "jsonschema",
+
+  # Cheshire requirements
+  "pyyaml",
+  "flatdict",
+  "tabulate",
+
+  # Miscellaneous requirements
+  "hjson",
+
+  # For peakrdl
+  "peakrdl",
+  "peakrdl-rawheader @ git+https://github.com/colluca/PeakRDL-rawheader.git@7b8dbc9ad5854dc1cdaf36d4ea024c29ffb00a4c",
+  "peakrdl-markdown",
+]
+
+[tool.setuptools]
+packages = []
+include-package-data = false
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 78565385..00000000
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2025 ETH Zurich and University of Bologna.
-# Solderpad Hardware License, Version 0.51, see LICENSE for details.
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: SHL-0.51
-
-# FlooNoC requirements
-click
-mako
-matplotlib
-networkx
-pydantic
-ruamel.yaml
-
-# Snitch cluster requirements
-json5
-jsonref
-jsonschema
-
-# Cheshire requirements
-pyyaml
-flatdict
-tabulate
-
-# Miscellaneous requirements
-hjson  # for reggen
-
-# For peakrdl
-peakrdl
-peakrdl-rawheader @ git+https://github.com/colluca/PeakRDL-rawheader.git@7b8dbc9ad5854dc1cdaf36d4ea024c29ffb00a4c
-peakrdl-markdown