diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index dfd0e308..54876ba5 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -8,3 +8,14 @@ updates:
     schedule:
       # Check for updates to GitHub Actions every week
       interval: "weekly"
+
+  - package-ecosystem: "pip"
+    directories: 
+      - "/starfish/REQUIREMENTS-STRICT.txt"
+      - "/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt"
+      - "/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt"
+      - "/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-JUPYTER.txt"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "weekly"
+    # Disable version updates (allows only security updates)
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 0
diff --git a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt
index 4679009c..ef649ac5 100644
--- a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt
+++ b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ scipy==1.13.1
 seaborn==0.13.2
 SecretStorage==3.3.3
 semantic-version==2.10.0
-setuptools==80.4.0
+setuptools==78.1.1
 showit==1.1.4
 six==1.17.0
 slicedimage==4.1.1
diff --git a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt.in b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt.in
index 152e3c1d..f8da8d98 100644
--- a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt.in
+++ b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt.in
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # requirements to run CI except for napari
 # constrain the CI requirements to packages already in REQUIREMENTS-STRICT.txt
--c ../starfish/REQUIREMENTS-STRICT.txt
+-r ../starfish/REQUIREMENTS-STRICT.txt
 build
 flake8
 flake8-import-order
diff --git a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-JUPYTER.txt b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-JUPYTER.txt
index 0f77151a..8919fdf9 100644
--- a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-JUPYTER.txt
+++ b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-JUPYTER.txt
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ scipy==1.13.1
 seaborn==0.13.2
 semantic-version==2.10.0
 Send2Trash==1.8.3
-setuptools==80.3.1
+setuptools==78.1.1
 showit==1.1.4
 six==1.17.0
 slicedimage==4.1.1
diff --git a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt
index 9977c882..1c5971a2 100644
--- a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt
+++ b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ scikit-learn==1.6.1
 scipy==1.13.1
 seaborn==0.13.2
 semantic-version==2.10.0
-setuptools==77.0.3
+setuptools==78.1.1
 shellingham==1.5.4
 showit==1.1.4
 six==1.17.0
diff --git a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt.in b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt.in
index 3a667245..af214b9c 100644
--- a/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt.in
+++ b/requirements/REQUIREMENTS-NAPARI-CI.txt.in
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # requirements to run napari and CI for napari
 # constrain the NAPARI-CI requirements to packages already in REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt
--c REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt
+-r REQUIREMENTS-CI.txt
 # napari 0.4.18 made point sizes only isotropic: https://forum.image.sc/t/anisotropic-point-sizes/83388
 napari[all]>0.4.17
 pytest-qt
diff --git a/starfish/REQUIREMENTS-STRICT.txt b/starfish/REQUIREMENTS-STRICT.txt
index a9dc8112..245eb537 100644
--- a/starfish/REQUIREMENTS-STRICT.txt
+++ b/starfish/REQUIREMENTS-STRICT.txt
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ scikit-learn==1.6.1
 scipy==1.13.1
 seaborn==0.13.2
 semantic-version==2.10.0
-setuptools==80.4.0
+setuptools==78.1.1
 showit==1.1.4
 six==1.17.0
 slicedimage==4.1.1