diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-salt-version/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup-salt-version/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a0dcb1b36d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-salt-version/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+---
+name: setup-salt-version
+description: Setup Salt Version
+inputs:
+  salt-version:
+    type: string
+    default: ""
+    description: >
+      The Salt version to set prior to running tests or building packages.
+      If not set, it is discover at run time, like, for example, capturing
+      the output of running `python3 salt/version.py`
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+
+  steps:
+
+    - name: Setup Salt Version
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        tools pkg set-salt-version ${{ inputs.salt-version }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 3924165cf58..326ee3a3672 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ on:
     - cron: '0 */8 * * *'  # Run every 8 hours
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
+      salt-version:
+        type: string
+        default: ""
+        description: >
+          The Salt version to set prior to running tests or building packages.
+          If not set, it is discover at run time, like, for example, capturing
+          the output of running `python3 salt/version.py`
       testrun-type:
         description: Type of test run
         required: true
@@ -94,14 +101,6 @@ jobs:
                 - *salt_added_modified
                 - *tests_added_modified
 
-      - name: Write Changed Files To A Local File
-        run:
-          echo '${{ toJSON(steps.changed-files.outputs) }}' > changed-files.json
-
-      - name: Check Local Changed Files Contents
-        run:
-          cat changed-files.json
-
       - name: Set up Python 3.10
         uses: actions/setup-python@v4
         with:
@@ -110,6 +109,19 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python Tools Scripts
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup-python-tools-scripts
 
+      - name: Setup Salt Version
+        uses: ./.github/actions/setup-salt-version
+        with:
+          salt-version: "${{ inputs.salt-version }}"
+
+      - name: Write Changed Files To A Local File
+        run:
+          echo '${{ toJSON(steps.changed-files.outputs) }}' > changed-files.json
+
+      - name: Check Local Changed Files Contents
+        run:
+          cat changed-files.json
+
       - name: Process Changed Files
         id: process-changed-files
         run:
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d339fe0d947..3bfc5534af8 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -233,6 +233,11 @@ class WriteSaltVersion(Command):
                 salt_version = SaltStackVersion.parse(
                     self.distribution.with_salt_version
                 )
+            if os.path.exists(self.distribution.salt_version_hardcoded_path):
+                log.warn(
+                    "The 'salt/_version.txt' file already exists. Not overwriting it."
+                )
+                return
 
             with open(
                 self.distribution.salt_version_hardcoded_path, "w", encoding="utf-8"
diff --git a/tools/__init__.py b/tools/__init__.py
index 1f2f9f704cb..32f558bd7ee 100644
--- a/tools/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import logging
 
 import tools.ci
+import tools.pkg
 import tools.vm
 
 for name in ("boto3", "botocore", "urllib3"):
diff --git a/tools/pkg.py b/tools/pkg.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7f7e85e3e0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/pkg.py
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+"""
+These commands are used to build Salt packages.
+"""
+# pylint: disable=resource-leakage,broad-except
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import logging
+import os
+import pathlib
+import shutil
+
+from ptscripts import Context, command_group
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+REPO_ROOT = pathlib.Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+
+# Define the command group
+pkg = command_group(name="pkg", help="Packaging Related Commands", description=__doc__)
+
+
+@pkg.command(
+    name="set-salt-version",
+    arguments={
+        "salt_version": {
+            "help": (
+                "The salt version to write to 'salt/_version.txt'. If not passed "
+                "it will be discovered by running 'python3 salt/version.py'."
+            ),
+            "nargs": "?",
+            "default": None,
+        },
+        "overwrite": {
+            "help": "Overwrite 'salt/_version.txt' if it already exists",
+        },
+    },
+)
+def set_salt_version(ctx: Context, salt_version: str, overwrite: bool = False):
+    """
+    Write the Salt version to 'salt/_version.txt'
+    """
+    salt_version_file = REPO_ROOT / "salt" / "_version.txt"
+    if salt_version_file.exists():
+        if not overwrite:
+            ctx.error("The 'salt/_version.txt' file already exists")
+            ctx.exit(1)
+        salt_version_file.unlink()
+    if salt_version is None:
+        if not REPO_ROOT.joinpath(".git").exists():
+            ctx.error(
+                "Apparently not running from a Salt repository checkout. "
+                "Unable to discover the Salt version."
+            )
+            ctx.exit(1)
+            ctx.info("Discovering the Salt version...")
+        ret = ctx.run(shutil.which("python3"), "salt/version.py", capture=True)
+        salt_version = ret.stdout.strip().decode()
+        ctx.info(f"Discovered Salt version: {salt_version!r}")
+
+    if not REPO_ROOT.joinpath("salt").is_dir():
+        ctx.error(
+            "The path 'salt/' is not a directory. Unable to write 'salt/_version.txt'"
+        )
+        ctx.exit(1)
+
+    try:
+        REPO_ROOT.joinpath("salt/_version.txt").write_text(salt_version)
+    except Exception as exc:
+        ctx.error(f"Unable to write 'salt/_version.txt': {exc}")
+        ctx.exit(1)
+
+    ctx.info(f"Successfuly wrote {salt_version!r} to 'salt/_version.txt'")
+
+    gh_env_file = os.environ.get("GITHUB_ENV", None)
+    if gh_env_file is not None:
+        variable_text = f"SALT_VERSION={salt_version}"
+        ctx.info(f"Writing '{variable_text}' to '$GITHUB_ENV' file:", gh_env_file)
+        with open(gh_env_file, "w", encoding="utf-8") as wfh:
+            wfh.write(f"{variable_text}\n")
+
+    ctx.exit(0)