diff --git a/.github/workflows/medcat-trainer_ci.yml b/.github/workflows/medcat-trainer_ci.yml
index 4a7c15951..0074b64b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/medcat-trainer_ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/medcat-trainer_ci.yml
@@ -73,15 +73,22 @@ jobs:
             medcat-trainer/client/htmlcov
           if-no-files-found: ignore
 
+      - name: Set release version from tag
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags')
+        run: |
+          VERSION="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#medcat-trainer/v}"
+          sed -i "s/^version = .*/version = \"$VERSION\"/" client/pyproject.toml
+          echo "Release version: $VERSION"
+
+      - name: Set dev version for TestPyPI
+        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+        run: sed -i "s/^version = .*/version = \"0.0.0.dev$(date +%s)\"/" client/pyproject.toml
+
       - name: Build client package
         run: |
           cd client
           python -m build
 
-      - name: Bump version for TestPyPI
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
-        run: sed -i "s/^version = .*/version = \"1.0.0.dev$(date +%s)\"/" client/pyproject.toml
-
       - name: Publish dev distribution to Test PyPI
         uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
         if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
@@ -93,7 +100,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Publish production distribution to PyPI
         if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags') && ! github.event.release.prerelease
         uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
-        continue-on-error: true
         with:
           packages_dir: medcat-trainer/client/dist
 
diff --git a/medcat-trainer/client/mctclient.py b/medcat-trainer/client/mctclient.py
index 1af6b17a8..b081505ed 100644
--- a/medcat-trainer/client/mctclient.py
+++ b/medcat-trainer/client/mctclient.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from datetime import datetime
 import json
 import os
+import time
 from abc import ABC
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
@@ -287,6 +288,9 @@ def __init__(self, server=None, username=None, password=None, keycloak_settings=
         self.username = username or os.getenv("MCTRAINER_USERNAME")
         self.password = password or os.getenv("MCTRAINER_PASSWORD")
         self.server = server or 'http://localhost:8001'
+        self._keycloak_settings: Optional[KeycloakSettings] = None
+        # positive infinity so that token refresh is never triggered for non-OIDC sessions
+        self._token_expiry: float = float('inf')
 
         env_use_oidc = os.getenv("MCTRAINER_USE_OIDC", "")
         env_use_oidc_truthy = env_use_oidc.strip() == "1"
@@ -299,9 +303,8 @@ def __init__(self, server=None, username=None, password=None, keycloak_settings=
                 if not isinstance(keycloak_settings, KeycloakSettings):
                     raise TypeError("keycloak_settings must be a KeycloakSettings instance")
                 kc_settings = keycloak_settings
-
-            token = get_keycloak_access_token(kc_settings)
-            self.headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}
+            self._keycloak_settings = kc_settings
+            self._refresh_oidc_token()
             return
 
         payload = {"username": self.username, "password": self.password}
@@ -314,6 +317,18 @@ def __init__(self, server=None, username=None, password=None, keycloak_settings=
         else:
             raise MCTUtilsException(f"Failed to login to MedCATtrainer instance running at: {self.server}")
 
+    def _refresh_oidc_token(self) -> None:
+        """Fetch a new OIDC access token and update the Authorization header."""
+        token = get_keycloak_access_token(self._keycloak_settings)
+        self.headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}
+        # Refresh 60s before the typical 5-minute Keycloak access token lifetime (i.e. 4 minutes from now)
+        self._token_expiry = time.monotonic() + 240
+
+    def ensure_token_fresh(self) -> None:
+        """Refresh the OIDC token if it is near expiry. No-op for non-OIDC sessions."""
+        if self._keycloak_settings is not None and time.monotonic() >= self._token_expiry:
+            self._refresh_oidc_token()
+
     def create_project(self, name: str,
                        description: str,
                        members: Union[List[MCTUser], List[str]],
diff --git a/medcat-trainer/client/pyproject.toml b/medcat-trainer/client/pyproject.toml
index a327f45de..ebbe9d280 100644
--- a/medcat-trainer/client/pyproject.toml
+++ b/medcat-trainer/client/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "medcattrainer-client"
-version = "1.3.0"
+version = "1.4.0"
 description = "Python client for interacting with a MedCATTrainer instance"
 readme = "client/README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
diff --git a/medcat-trainer/client/tests/test_mctclient.py b/medcat-trainer/client/tests/test_mctclient.py
index 7512e97a3..e1d8a91fe 100644
--- a/medcat-trainer/client/tests/test_mctclient.py
+++ b/medcat-trainer/client/tests/test_mctclient.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import json
+import time
 import unittest
 from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
 from mctclient import (
@@ -748,5 +749,60 @@ def post_side_effect(url, *args, **kwargs):
         )
         self.assertEqual(result, mock_upload_response)
 
+    @patch('mctclient.requests.post')
+    def test_ensure_token_fresh_is_noop_for_non_oidc_session(self, mock_post):
+        mock_post.return_value = MagicMock(status_code=200, text='{"token": "abc"}')
+        session = MedCATTrainerSession(server='http://localhost', username='u', password='p')
+        original_headers = dict(session.headers)
+        session.ensure_token_fresh()
+        self.assertEqual(session.headers, original_headers)
+        # Only the initial DRF auth call should have been made
+        mock_post.assert_called_once()
+
+    @patch('mctclient.requests.post')
+    def test_ensure_token_fresh_refreshes_expired_oidc_token(self, mock_post):
+        call_count = [0]
+
+        def post_side_effect(url, *args, **kwargs):
+            if url.endswith('/protocol/openid-connect/token'):
+                call_count[0] += 1
+                return MagicMock(status_code=200, json=lambda: {"access_token": f"token-{call_count[0]}"})
+            return MagicMock(status_code=404, text='')
+
+        mock_post.side_effect = post_side_effect
+
+        kc = KeycloakSettings(keycloak_url='http://kc', realm='r', client_id='c', client_secret='s')
+        session = MedCATTrainerSession(server='http://localhost', use_oidc=True, keycloak_settings=kc)
+        self.assertEqual(session.headers['Authorization'], 'Bearer token-1')
+
+        # Simulate expiry by setting _token_expiry to the past
+        session._token_expiry = time.monotonic() - 1
+
+        session.ensure_token_fresh()
+        self.assertEqual(session.headers['Authorization'], 'Bearer token-2')
+        self.assertEqual(call_count[0], 2)
+
+    @patch('mctclient.requests.post')
+    def test_ensure_token_fresh_does_not_refresh_valid_oidc_token(self, mock_post):
+        call_count = [0]
+
+        def post_side_effect(url, *args, **kwargs):
+            if url.endswith('/protocol/openid-connect/token'):
+                call_count[0] += 1
+                return MagicMock(status_code=200, json=lambda: {"access_token": f"token-{call_count[0]}"})
+            return MagicMock(status_code=404, text='')
+
+        mock_post.side_effect = post_side_effect
+
+        kc = KeycloakSettings(keycloak_url='http://kc', realm='r', client_id='c', client_secret='s')
+        session = MedCATTrainerSession(server='http://localhost', use_oidc=True, keycloak_settings=kc)
+        self.assertEqual(call_count[0], 1)
+
+        # Token is still fresh (_token_expiry is in the future)
+        session.ensure_token_fresh()
+        self.assertEqual(call_count[0], 1)
+        self.assertEqual(session.headers['Authorization'], 'Bearer token-1')
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
\ No newline at end of file