diff --git a/build/azure-pipelines.yml b/build/azure-pipelines.yml
index 97e0a10f9c..310477fa4c 100644
--- a/build/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/build/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -94,23 +94,8 @@ stages:
               echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=majorVersion;isOutput=true]$major"
             displayName: Set major version
             name: determineMajorVersion
-          - task: PowerShell@2
-            displayName: Prepare nupkg
-            inputs:
-              targetType: inline
-              script: |
-                $umbracoVersion = "$(Build.BuildNumber)" -replace "\+",".g"
-                $templatePaths = Get-ChildItem 'templates/**/.template.config/template.json'
-
-                foreach ($templatePath in $templatePaths) {
-                  $a = Get-Content $templatePath -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
-                  if ($a.symbols -and $a.symbols.UmbracoVersion) {
-                    $a.symbols.UmbracoVersion.defaultValue = $umbracoVersion
-                    $a | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 32 | Set-Content $templatePath
-                  }
-                }
-
-                dotnet pack $(solution) --configuration $(buildConfiguration) --no-build --property:PackageOutputPath=$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/nupkg
+          - script: dotnet pack $(solution) --configuration $(buildConfiguration) --no-build --property:PackageOutputPath=$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/nupkg
+            displayName: Run dotnet pack
           - script: |
               sha="$(Build.SourceVersion)"
               sha=${sha:0:7}
diff --git a/templates/Umbraco.Templates.csproj b/templates/Umbraco.Templates.csproj
index 3f9e1f0ce4..38848d398a 100644
--- a/templates/Umbraco.Templates.csproj
+++ b/templates/Umbraco.Templates.csproj
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
     <NoDefaultExcludes>true</NoDefaultExcludes>
     <IncludeContentInPack>true</IncludeContentInPack>
     <ContentTargetFolders>.</ContentTargetFolders>
+    <NoWarn>NU5128</NoWarn>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -43,4 +44,25 @@
       <PackagePath>UmbracoProject\wwwroot</PackagePath>
     </Content>
   </ItemGroup>
+
+  <!-- Update template.json files with the default UmbracoVersion value set to the current build version -->
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PackageReference Include="Umbraco.JsonSchema.Extensions" Version="0.3.0" PrivateAssets="all" />
+  </ItemGroup>
+  <Target Name="GetUpdatedTemplateJsonPackageFiles" BeforeTargets="GenerateNuspec" AfterTargets="GetBuildVersion;GetUmbracoBuildVersion">
+    <ItemGroup>
+      <_TemplateJsonFiles Include="**\.template.config\template.json" Exclude="bin\**;obj\**" />
+      <_TemplateJsonFiles>
+        <DestinationFile>$(IntermediateOutputPath)%(RelativeDir)%(Filename)%(Extension)</DestinationFile>
+      </_TemplateJsonFiles>
+    </ItemGroup>
+    <Copy SourceFiles="@(_TemplateJsonFiles)" DestinationFiles="%(DestinationFile)" />
+    <JsonPathUpdateValue JsonFile="%(_TemplateJsonFiles.DestinationFile)" Path="$.symbols.UmbracoVersion.defaultValue" Value="&quot;$(PackageVersion)&quot;" />
+    <ItemGroup>
+      <_PackageFiles Remove="@(_TemplateJsonFiles)" />
+      <_PackageFiles Include="%(_TemplateJsonFiles.DestinationFile)">
+        <PackagePath>%(RelativeDir)</PackagePath>
+      </_PackageFiles>
+    </ItemGroup>
+  </Target>
 </Project>
diff --git a/templates/UmbracoPackage/.template.config/template.json b/templates/UmbracoPackage/.template.config/template.json
index b1b4ef9425..768a7a4bee 100644
--- a/templates/UmbracoPackage/.template.config/template.json
+++ b/templates/UmbracoPackage/.template.config/template.json
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
       "description": "The version of Umbraco.Cms to add as PackageReference.",
       "type": "parameter",
       "datatype": "string",
-      "defaultValue": "11.0.0",
+      "defaultValue": "*",
       "replaces": "UMBRACO_VERSION_FROM_TEMPLATE"
     },
     "SkipRestore": {
diff --git a/templates/UmbracoPackageRcl/.template.config/template.json b/templates/UmbracoPackageRcl/.template.config/template.json
index c61289f6c2..be7b1c04e8 100644
--- a/templates/UmbracoPackageRcl/.template.config/template.json
+++ b/templates/UmbracoPackageRcl/.template.config/template.json
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
       "description": "The version of Umbraco.Cms to add as PackageReference.",
       "type": "parameter",
       "datatype": "string",
-      "defaultValue": "11.0.0",
+      "defaultValue": "*",
       "replaces": "UMBRACO_VERSION_FROM_TEMPLATE"
     },
     "SkipRestore": {
diff --git a/templates/UmbracoProject/.template.config/template.json b/templates/UmbracoProject/.template.config/template.json
index 049db86bf1..d88b23c07d 100644
--- a/templates/UmbracoProject/.template.config/template.json
+++ b/templates/UmbracoProject/.template.config/template.json
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
       "description": "The version of Umbraco.Cms to add as PackageReference.",
       "type": "parameter",
       "datatype": "string",
-      "defaultValue": "11.0.0",
+      "defaultValue": "*",
       "replaces": "UMBRACO_VERSION_FROM_TEMPLATE"
     },
     "UseHttpsRedirect": {