diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 77f27c91..ea9d503c 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@ repos:
       - id: check-docstring-first
       - id: end-of-file-fixer
       - id: trailing-whitespace
-  - repo: https://github.com/asottile/setup-cfg-fmt
-    rev: v3.2.0
-    hooks:
-      - id: setup-cfg-fmt
   - repo: https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff-pre-commit
     rev: v0.14.10
     hooks:
@@ -17,6 +13,14 @@ repos:
       # Run the linter.
       - id: ruff-check
         args: [--fix,--unsafe-fixes]
+  - repo: https://github.com/tox-dev/pyproject-fmt
+    rev: v2.15.2
+    hooks:
+      - id: pyproject-fmt
+  - repo: https://github.com/abravalheri/validate-pyproject
+    rev: v0.25
+    hooks:
+      - id: validate-pyproject
   - repo: https://github.com/tlambert03/napari-plugin-checks
     rev: v0.3.0
     hooks:
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 594660f9..afc982af 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,19 +1,97 @@
 [build-system]
-requires = ["setuptools", "wheel", "setuptools_scm"]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+requires = [ "setuptools>=77", "setuptools-scm[toml]>=7", "wheel" ]
 
-[tool.ruff]
-lint.select = ["E", "F", "B", "I", "UP"]
-lint.ignore = ["E741"]
-target-version = "py310"
-fix = true
-line-length = 120
+[project]
+name = "napari-deeplabcut"
+description = "napari + DeepLabCut annotation tool"
+readme = { file = "README.md", content-type = "text/markdown" }
+license = "LGPL-3.0-only"
+license-files = [ "LICENSE" ]
+requires-python = ">=3.10"
+classifiers = [
+  "Development Status :: 2 - Pre-Alpha",
+  "Framework :: napari",
+  "Intended Audience :: Developers",
+  "Operating System :: OS Independent",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11",
+  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12",
+  "Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Artificial Intelligence",
+  "Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Image Processing",
+  "Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Visualization",
+]
+# Using setuptools-scm -> version is derived from git tags
+dynamic = [ "version" ]
+dependencies = [
+  "dask-image",
+  "matplotlib>=3.3",
+  "napari==0.6.6",
+  "natsort",
+  "numpy>=1.18.5,<2",
+  "opencv-python-headless",
+  "pandas",
+  "pyside6>=6.4.2",
+  "pyyaml",
+  "qtpy>=2.4",
+  "scikit-image",
+  "scipy",
+  "tables",
+]
+[[project.authors]]
+name = "Team DeepLabCut, led by Jessy Lauer"
+email = "admin@deeplabcut.org"
+[project.entry-points."napari.manifest"]
+napari-deeplabcut = "napari_deeplabcut:napari.yaml"
+[project.optional-dependencies]
+testing = [
+  "pillow",
+  "pytest",
+  "pytest-cov",
+  "pytest-qt",
+  "tox",
+]
+[project.urls]
+"Bug Tracker" = "https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut/issues"
+Documentation = "https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut#README.md"
+"Source Code" = "https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut"
+"User Support" = "https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut/issues"
 
-[tool.uv]
-package = true
+# ----------------------------
+# setuptools configuration
+# ----------------------------
+[tool.setuptools]
+include-package-data = true
+[tool.setuptools.package-data]
+napari_deeplabcut = [ "napari.yaml" ]
+[tool.setuptools.package-dir]
+"" = "src"
+[tool.setuptools.packages.find]
+where = [ "src" ]
 
 [tool.setuptools_scm]
 write_to = "src/napari_deeplabcut/_version.py"
 
+[tool.uv]
+package = true
+
+# ----------------------------
+# existing tool configuration
+# ----------------------------
+[tool.ruff]
+target-version = "py310"
+line-length = 120
+fix = true
+[tool.ruff.lint]
+select = [ "E", "F", "B", "I", "UP" ]
+ignore = [ "E741" ]
+
+[tool.pyproject-fmt]
+max_supported_python = "3.12"
+generate_python_version_classifiers = true
+# Avoid collapsing tables to field.key = value format (less readable)
+table_format = "long"
+
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
 qt_api = "pyside6"
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
deleted file mode 100644
index fe16cb09..00000000
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,67 +0,0 @@
-[metadata]
-name = napari-deeplabcut
-description = napari + DeepLabCut annotation tool
-long_description = file: README.md
-long_description_content_type = text/markdown
-url = https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut
-author = Team DeepLabCut, Lead by Jessy Lauer
-author_email = admin@deeplabcut.org
-license = LGPL-3.0
-license_files = LICENSE
-classifiers =
-    Development Status :: 2 - Pre-Alpha
-    Framework :: napari
-    Intended Audience :: Developers
-    Operating System :: OS Independent
-    Programming Language :: Python :: 3
-    Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only
-    Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Artificial Intelligence
-    Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Image Processing
-    Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Visualization
-project_urls =
-    Bug Tracker = https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut/issues
-    Documentation = https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut#README.md
-    Source Code = https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut
-    User Support = https://github.com/DeepLabCut/napari-deeplabcut/issues
-
-[options]
-packages = find:
-install_requires =
-    dask-image
-    matplotlib>=3.3
-    napari==0.6.6
-    natsort
-    numpy>=1.18.5,<2.0.0
-    opencv-python-headless
-    pandas
-    pyside6>=6.4.2
-    pyyaml
-    qtpy>=2.4
-    scikit-image
-    scipy
-    tables
-python_requires = >=3.10
-include_package_data = True
-package_dir =
-    =src
-setup_requires =
-    setuptools-scm
-
-[options.packages.find]
-where = src
-
-[options.entry_points]
-napari.manifest =
-    napari-deeplabcut = napari_deeplabcut:napari.yaml
-
-[options.extras_require]
-testing =
-    Pillow
-    pytest
-    pytest-cov
-    pytest-qt
-    tox
-
-[options.package_data]
-napari_deeplabcut =
-    napari.yaml