diff --git a/.github/workflows/java-bulk-cdk-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/java-bulk-cdk-publish.yml
index 831efd6565d..219f45e1640 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/java-bulk-cdk-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/java-bulk-cdk-publish.yml
@@ -45,16 +45,7 @@ jobs:
           username: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_HUB_USERNAME }}
           password: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_HUB_PASSWORD }}
 
-      - name: Set Build Number [manual]
-        if: github.event.inputs.build-number
-        env:
-          BUILD_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.inputs.build-number }}
-        run: |
-          mkdir -p airbyte-cdk/bulk/build/generated
-          echo $BUILD_NUMBER > airbyte-cdk/bulk/build/generated/build.number
-
-      - name: Set Build Number [auto]
-        if: ${{ !github.event.inputs.build-number }}
+      - name: Error if CDK Version Exists
         uses: burrunan/gradle-cache-action@v1
         env:
           CI: true
@@ -62,10 +53,7 @@ jobs:
           job-id: bulk-cdk-publish
           concurrent: true
           gradle-distribution-sha-256-sum-warning: false
-          arguments: --scan :airbyte-cdk:bulk:generateBuildNumberFile
-
-      - name: Read Build Number
-        run: echo "BUILD_NUMBER=$(cat airbyte-cdk/bulk/build/generated/build.number)" >>$GITHUB_ENV
+          arguments: --scan :airbyte-cdk:bulk:checkBuildNumber
 
       - name: Build Bulk CDK
         uses: burrunan/gradle-cache-action@v1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/java-cdk-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/java-cdk-tests.yml
index 15b6b0a4332..96f23e6db13 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/java-cdk-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/java-cdk-tests.yml
@@ -58,6 +58,16 @@ jobs:
         with:
           distribution: "zulu"
           java-version: "21"
+      # Help CDK Devs understand CDK version should be incremented on changes.
+      - name: Error if CDK Version Exists
+        uses: burrunan/gradle-cache-action@v1
+        env:
+          CI: true
+        with:
+          job-id: bulk-cdk-publish
+          concurrent: true
+          gradle-distribution-sha-256-sum-warning: false
+          arguments: --scan :airbyte-cdk:bulk:checkBuildNumber
       - name: Run Java CDK Tests
         uses: burrunan/gradle-cache-action@v3
         env:
diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/bulk/README.md b/airbyte-cdk/bulk/README.md
index a267bfd1143..3dfe3c89b73 100644
--- a/airbyte-cdk/bulk/README.md
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/bulk/README.md
@@ -87,19 +87,17 @@ If there's truly a need to develop both simultaneously, then the way to go may b
 
 ## Publishing
 
-While the CDK is incubating, its published version numbers are 0.X where X is the _build number_.
-This build number is monotonically increasing and is based on the maximum version value found on
-the [maven repository that the jars are published to](https://airbyte.mycloudrepo.io/public/repositories/airbyte-public-jars/io/airbyte/bulk-cdk/).
+The CDK version is a SemVer version which is published here: [maven repository that the jars are published to](https://airbyte.mycloudrepo.io/public/repositories/airbyte-public-jars/io/airbyte/bulk-cdk/).
+Some legacy versions don't follow the SemVer format. Any CDK version with 0.x e.g. 0.600 is an example.
 
 Artifact publication happens via a [github workflow](../../.github/workflows/publish-bulk-cdk.yml)
 which gets triggered by any push to the master branch, i.e. after merging a pull request.
 
-From a contributor's perspective, this means that there's no need to worry about versions or
-changelogs.
-From a client's perspective, just always use the latest version.
+The contributor needs to manually bump the version before merging.
 
-Once the incubation period winds down and the CDK stabilizes, we can start thinking about contracts,
-semantic versioning, and so forth; but not until then.
+In the build process, we are checking that the version of the bulk CDK doesn't exist already.
+
+There is now a changelog file which needs to be updated. Currently there is no enforcement but it will.
 
 ## Licensing
 
diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/bulk/build.gradle b/airbyte-cdk/bulk/build.gradle
index 8552c2e5de4..0653c3b947d 100644
--- a/airbyte-cdk/bulk/build.gradle
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/bulk/build.gradle
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-final File buildNumberFile = file("${getLayout().buildDirectory.get()}/generated/build.number")
-
 allprojects {
+    version = "0.1.0"
     apply plugin: 'java-library'
     apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
 
@@ -37,45 +36,31 @@ allprojects {
         testImplementation("io.mockk:mockk:1.13.13")
     }
 
-    if (buildNumberFile.exists()) {
-        version = "0.${buildNumberFile.text.trim()}"
-        publishing {
-            publications {
-                cdk(MavenPublication) {
-                    from components.java
-                }
+    publishing {
+        publications {
+            cdk(MavenPublication) {
+                from components.java
             }
-            // This repository is only defined and used in the context of publishing artifacts
-            // It's different from the 'airbyte-public-jars' defined in settings.gradle
-            // only in its omission of the 'public' directory.
-            // Any artifacts publish here will be available in the 'airbyte-public-jars' repo.
-            repositories {
-                maven {
-                    name 'airbyte-repo'
-                    url 'https://airbyte.mycloudrepo.io/repositories/airbyte-public-jars/'
-                    credentials {
-                        username System.getenv('CLOUDREPO_USER')
-                        password System.getenv('CLOUDREPO_PASSWORD')
-                    }
+        }
+        // This repository is only defined and used in the context of publishing artifacts
+        // It's different from the 'airbyte-public-jars' defined in settings.gradle
+        // only in its omission of the 'public' directory.
+        // Any artifacts publish here will be available in the 'airbyte-public-jars' repo.
+        repositories {
+            maven {
+                name 'airbyte-repo'
+                url 'https://airbyte.mycloudrepo.io/repositories/airbyte-public-jars/'
+                credentials {
+                    username System.getenv('CLOUDREPO_USER')
+                    password System.getenv('CLOUDREPO_PASSWORD')
                 }
             }
         }
     }
 }
 
-if (buildNumberFile.exists()) {
-    tasks.register('bulkCdkBuild').configure {
-        dependsOn allprojects.collect {it.tasks.named('build')}
-    }
-    tasks.register('bulkCdkPublish').configure {
-        dependsOn allprojects.collect {it.tasks.named('publish')}
-    }
-}
-
-tasks.register('generateBuildNumberFile') {
-    description = 'Generates a build.number file in the build directory'
-    group = 'Custom'
-    outputs.file buildNumberFile
+tasks.register('checkBuildNumber') {
+    description = "Check that the version doesn't exist"
 
     doLast {
         var repoUrl = "https://airbyte.mycloudrepo.io/public/repositories/airbyte-public-jars"
@@ -94,13 +79,18 @@ tasks.register('generateBuildNumberFile') {
             String responseContent = connection.inputStream.text
             def xml = new XmlParser().parseText(responseContent)
             String latestVersion = xml."versioning"."latest".text()
-            String buildNumber = latestVersion.replaceFirst('^0\\.', '')
-            Integer nextBuildNumber = 1 + buildNumber.toInteger()
-            buildNumberFile.parentFile.mkdirs()
-            buildNumberFile.text = "$nextBuildNumber"
-            logger.lifecycle("Wrote Bulk CDK build number ${nextBuildNumber} to ${buildNumberFile.path}.")
+            if (version.toString() == latestVersion) {
+                throw new GradleException("Version already exist")
+            }
         } finally {
             connection.disconnect()
         }
     }
 }
+
+tasks.register('bulkCdkBuild').configure {
+    dependsOn allprojects.collect {it.tasks.named('build')}
+}
+tasks.register('bulkCdkPublish').configure {
+    dependsOn allprojects.collect {it.tasks.named('publish')}
+}
diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/bulk/changelog.md b/airbyte-cdk/bulk/changelog.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8480197b634
--- /dev/null
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/bulk/changelog.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+## Version 0.1.0
+
+* **Changed:** Adopted Semantic Versioning (SemVer) for the CDK to provide more meaningful version numbers.
+* **Action Required:** The CDK version must now be set manually in the `build.gradle` file.