diff --git a/.bumpversion.cfg b/.bumpversion.cfg
index d6a12c902..84caef621 100644
--- a/.bumpversion.cfg
+++ b/.bumpversion.cfg
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@ tag = False
 
 [bumpversion:file:src/client/delphi_epidata.R]
 
-[bumpversion:file:src/client/delphi_epidata.py]
-
 [bumpversion:file:src/client/packaging/npm/package.json]
 
-[bumpversion:file:src/client/packaging/pypi/pyproject.toml]
-
 [bumpversion:file:dev/local/setup.cfg]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
index 329fa76aa..77e087d72 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-release.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       versionName:
-        description: 'Semantic Version Number (i.e., 5.5.0 or patch, minor, major, prepatch, preminor, premajor, prerelease)'
+        description: 'Semantic Version Number (i.e., 5.5.0 or patch, minor, major)'
         required: true
         default: patch
 
@@ -27,11 +27,43 @@ jobs:
           python-version: 3.8
       - name: Change version number
         id: version
+        # See this issue for explanation and testing:
+        # https://github.com/cmu-delphi/delphi-epidata/pull/1473
         run: |
           python -m pip install bump2version
-          echo -n "::set-output name=next_tag::"
-          bump2version --list ${{ github.event.inputs.versionName }} | grep new_version | sed -r s,"^.*=",,
-      - name: Create pull request into prod
+          if [[ ${{ github.event.inputs.versionName }} =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+            # use given version number
+            NEXT_TAG="${{ github.event.inputs.versionName }}"
+          elif [[ ${{ github.event.inputs.versionName }} =~ ^(major|minor|patch)$ ]]; then
+            # calculate new version number based on given tag
+            NEXT_TAG=$(bump2version --dry-run --list ${{ github.event.inputs.versionName }} | grep ^new_version | sed -r s,"^.*=",,)
+          else
+            echo "\nInvalid version name: ${{ github.event.inputs.versionName }}"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          # apply given or calculated version number
+          bump2version --new-version $NEXT_TAG _ignored_arg_
+          # save version number for later
+          echo "next_tag=$NEXT_TAG" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      - name: Get Python client file changes
+        id: changed-py
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        with:
+            base: "main"
+            ref: "dev"
+            filters: |
+              python_client_changed:
+                - src/client/delphi_epidata.py
+                - src/client/packaging/pypi/**
+      - name: Bump Python versions if client files changed
+        if: steps.changed-py.outputs.python_client_changed == 'true'
+        # _ignored_arg_ below is required because of tool quirk
+        # https://github.com/c4urself/bump2version/issues/22
+        run: |
+          cd src/client/packaging/pypi
+          # this is using the new literal version number (steps.version.outputs.next_tag) output from the bump2version step above, not the workflow input (github.event.inputs.versionName) which can be relative
+          bump2version --allow-dirty --new-version ${{ steps.version.outputs.next_tag }} _ignored_arg_
+      - name: Create pull request into main
         uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@v3
         with:
           branch: release/delphi-epidata-${{ steps.version.outputs.next_tag }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-helper.yml b/.github/workflows/release-helper.yml
index d4c24dfcc..bc87d3b0e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-helper.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-helper.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,29 @@ jobs:
         if: github.repository_owner != 'cmu-delphi'
         run: exit 1
 
+  client_changed:
+    needs: correct_repository
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 2
+      - name: Get Python client file changes
+        id: changed-py
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        with:
+          # when base and ref are the same, changes are detected against the most recent commit before the push.
+          # see https://github.com/dorny/paths-filter#usage for details.
+          base: 'main'
+          ref: 'main'
+          filters: |
+            python_client_changed:
+              - src/client/delphi_epidata.py
+              - src/client/packaging/pypi/**
+    outputs:
+      python_client_changed: ${{ steps.changed-py.outputs.python_client_changed }}
+
   create_release:
     needs: correct_repository
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -29,8 +52,8 @@ jobs:
         id: extract_version
         run: |
           python -m pip install bump2version
-          echo -n "::set-output name=version::"
-          bump2version --dry-run --list patch | grep ^current_version | sed -r s,"^.*=",,
+          VERSION=$(bump2version --dry-run --list patch | grep ^current_version | sed -r s,"^.*=",,)
+          echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
       - name: Create Release
         id: create_release
         uses: release-drafter/release-drafter@v5
@@ -45,7 +68,8 @@ jobs:
       tag_name: ${{ steps.create_release.outputs.tag_name }}
 
   release_python_client:
-    needs: create_release
+    needs: [client_changed, create_release]
+    if: needs.client_changed.outputs.python_client_changed == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Check out code
@@ -95,7 +119,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v2
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v2
         with:
-          node-version: '16.x'
+          node-version: "16.x"
       - name: Cache Node.js modules
         uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
diff --git a/requirements.dev.txt b/requirements.dev.txt
index ff7da9923..92c707c13 100644
--- a/requirements.dev.txt
+++ b/requirements.dev.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 aiohttp==3.9.4
 black>=20.8b1
-bump2version==1.0.1
 covidcast==0.1.5
 delphi_utils
 docker==6.0.1
diff --git a/src/client/packaging/pypi/.bumpversion.cfg b/src/client/packaging/pypi/.bumpversion.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5184e1935
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/packaging/pypi/.bumpversion.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+[bumpversion]
+current_version = 4.1.23
+commit = False
+tag = False
+
+[bumpversion:file:../../delphi_epidata.py]
+
+[bumpversion:file:pyproject.toml]