diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..15db22e67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+recursive-include msgq *.h *.cc *.pyx *.pxd
diff --git a/msgq/__init__.py b/msgq/__init__.py
index 574e100a8..54cc1427a 100644
--- a/msgq/__init__.py
+++ b/msgq/__init__.py
@@ -1,18 +1,13 @@
-# must be built with scons
+import os
+from typing import Optional, List, Union
+
+BASEDIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+INCLUDE_PATH = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(BASEDIR, "../"))
+
 from msgq.ipc_pyx import Context, Poller, SubSocket, PubSocket, SocketEventHandle, toggle_fake_events, \
                                 set_fake_prefix, get_fake_prefix, delete_fake_prefix, wait_for_one_event
 from msgq.ipc_pyx import MultiplePublishersError, IpcError
 
-from typing import Optional, List, Union
-
-assert MultiplePublishersError
-assert IpcError
-assert toggle_fake_events
-assert set_fake_prefix
-assert get_fake_prefix
-assert delete_fake_prefix
-assert wait_for_one_event
-
 NO_TRAVERSAL_LIMIT = 2**64-1
 
 context = Context()
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index efbb89ad7..27ea44e3e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,33 +1,34 @@
 [project]
 name = "msgq"
-version = "0.0.1"
-description = "Code powering the comma.ai panda"
-readme = "README.md"
+version = "0.1.0"
+description = "Lock-free IPC message queue and VisionIPC"
 requires-python = ">=3.11,<3.13"
 license = {text = "MIT"}
 authors = [{name = "comma.ai"}]
-classifiers = [
-  "Natural Language :: English",
-  "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
-  "Topic :: System :: Hardware",
-]
 dependencies = [
-  "setuptools",  # for distutils
-  "Cython",
-  "scons",
-  "ruff",
-  "parameterized",
-  "coverage",
   "numpy",
-  "pytest",
-  "pytest-retry",
-  "cppcheck",
-  "cpplint",
-  "codespell",
-  "ty",
-  "lefthook",
 ]
 
+[project.optional-dependencies]
+dev = [
+  "setuptools", "Cython", "scons", "ruff",
+  "parameterized", "coverage", "numpy",
+  "pytest", "pytest-retry",
+  "cppcheck", "cpplint", "codespell", "ty", "lefthook",
+]
+
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools", "Cython", "numpy"]
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+[tool.setuptools]
+include-package-data = true
+
+[tool.setuptools.package-data]
+"msgq" = ["*.h", "*.cc", "*.pyx", "*.pxd"]
+"msgq.visionipc" = ["*.h", "*.cc", "*.pyx", "*.pxd"]
+"msgq.logger" = ["*.h"]
+
 # https://beta.ruff.rs/docs/configuration/#using-pyprojecttoml
 [tool.ruff]
 lint.select = ["E", "F", "W", "PIE", "C4", "ISC", "RUF100", "A"]
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ exclude = ["site_scons/"]
 [tool.ty.rules]
 # Cython modules are compiled at build time, not available for static analysis
 unresolved-import = "ignore"
+possibly-missing-attribute = "ignore"
 
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
 addopts = "--durations=10"
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d8a3e7931
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import os
+import numpy as np
+from setuptools import setup
+from Cython.Build import cythonize
+from setuptools import Extension
+
+msgq_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+
+# Common C++ compile args
+cpp_args = ["-std=c++17", "-fPIC", "-O2"]
+
+# msgq core C++ sources
+msgq_cc_sources = [
+    "msgq/ipc.cc",
+    "msgq/event.cc",
+    "msgq/impl_msgq.cc",
+    "msgq/impl_fake.cc",
+    "msgq/msgq.cc",
+]
+
+# visionipc C++ sources
+vipc_cc_sources = [
+    "msgq/visionipc/visionipc.cc",
+    "msgq/visionipc/visionipc_server.cc",
+    "msgq/visionipc/visionipc_client.cc",
+    "msgq/visionipc/visionbuf.cc",
+]
+
+extensions = [
+    Extension(
+        "msgq.ipc_pyx",
+        sources=["msgq/ipc_pyx.pyx"] + msgq_cc_sources,
+        language="c++",
+        extra_compile_args=cpp_args,
+        include_dirs=[msgq_dir, np.get_include()],
+    ),
+    Extension(
+        "msgq.visionipc.visionipc_pyx",
+        sources=["msgq/visionipc/visionipc_pyx.pyx"] + vipc_cc_sources + msgq_cc_sources,
+        language="c++",
+        extra_compile_args=cpp_args,
+        include_dirs=[msgq_dir, np.get_include()],
+    ),
+]
+
+setup(ext_modules=cythonize(extensions, language_level="3"))