diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index e741dfb1..6adce309 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ name: PlatformIO CI
 on:
   workflow_call:
     inputs:
-      version:
-        description: 'Build VERSION in format yymmddb (optional, for nightly builds)'
+      nightly_build:
+        description: 'Flag to indicate this is a nightly build'
         required: false
-        type: string
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
 
 jobs:
 
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Build firmware
       env:
         WLED_RELEASE: True
-        PLATFORMIO_BUILD_FLAGS: ${{ inputs.version && format('-D VERSION={0}', inputs.version) || '' }}
+        WLED_NIGHTLY_BUILD: ${{ inputs.nightly_build && 'true' || 'false' }}
       run: pio run -e ${{ matrix.environment }}
     - name: Rename Bin
       run: mv -v .pio/build/${{ matrix.environment }}/firmware.bin firmware-${{ matrix.environment }}.bin
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
index 88b70d11..0a1edd9d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
@@ -8,25 +8,10 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 jobs:
-  calculate_version:
-    name: Calculate VERSION
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    outputs:
-      version: ${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
-    steps:
-      - name: Calculate VERSION
-        id: version
-        run: |
-          # VERSION format: yymmddb (b = daily build number, set to 1 for nightly)
-          VERSION=$(date -u +"%y%m%d")1
-          echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "Calculated VERSION: $VERSION"
-  
   wled_build:
-    needs: calculate_version
     uses: ./.github/workflows/build.yml
     with:
-      version: ${{ needs.calculate_version.outputs.version }}
+      nightly_build: true
   nightly:
     name: Deploy nightly
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/pio-scripts/set_nightly_version.py b/pio-scripts/set_nightly_version.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b069e777
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pio-scripts/set_nightly_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+Import('env')
+import os
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+
+# Only set VERSION if this is a nightly build (indicated by environment variable)
+if os.environ.get('WLED_NIGHTLY_BUILD') == 'true':
+    # VERSION format: yymmddb (b = build number, 0 for nightly)
+    version_code = datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime("%y%m%d") + "0"
+    env.Append(BUILD_FLAGS=[f"-DVERSION={version_code}"])
+    print(f"Nightly build: Setting VERSION to {version_code}")
+
diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index 2a5a707a..ebc4ec0a 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ ldscript_16m14m = eagle.flash.16m14m.ld
 [scripts_defaults]
 extra_scripts =
   pre:pio-scripts/set_version.py
+  pre:pio-scripts/set_nightly_version.py
   pre:pio-scripts/build_ui.py
   pre:pio-scripts/conditional_usb_mode.py
   pre:pio-scripts/set_repo.py