diff --git a/.github/workflows/loco-cli-new.yml b/.github/workflows/loco-cli-new.yml
index a8741d4f..b385ebb6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/loco-cli-new.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/loco-cli-new.yml
@@ -5,11 +5,10 @@ on:
     branches:
       - master
     paths:
-      - 'loco-new/**'
+      - "loco-new/**"
   pull_request:
     paths:
-      - 'loco-new/**'
-
+      - "loco-new/**"
 
 env:
   RUST_TOOLCHAIN: stable
@@ -61,4 +60,5 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run cargo test
         run: cargo test --all-features
         working-directory: ./loco-new
- 
+        env:
+          LOCO_DEV_MODE_PATH: ${{ github.workspace }}
diff --git a/loco-new/base_template/Cargo.toml.t b/loco-new/base_template/Cargo.toml.t
index 47de1b63..d449a99c 100644
--- a/loco-new/base_template/Cargo.toml.t
+++ b/loco-new/base_template/Cargo.toml.t
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ default-run = "{{settings.module_name}}-cli"
 # See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
 
 [workspace.dependencies]
-loco-rs = { version = "0.12.0" {%- if not settings.features.default_features  %}, default-features = false {%- endif %} }
+loco-rs = { {{settings.loco_version_text}} {%- if not settings.features.default_features  %}, default-features = false {%- endif %} }
 
 [dependencies]
 loco-rs = { workspace = true {% if feature_list | length > 0 %}, features = {{feature_list}}{% endif %} }
diff --git a/loco-new/base_template/migration/Cargo.toml b/loco-new/base_template/migration/Cargo.toml
index 01ed5e18..cb2ad9b2 100644
--- a/loco-new/base_template/migration/Cargo.toml
+++ b/loco-new/base_template/migration/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ path = "src/lib.rs"
 
 [dependencies]
 async-std = { version = "1", features = ["attributes", "tokio1"] }
-loco-rs = { version = "0.12.0" }
+loco-rs = { workspace = true }
+
 
 [dependencies.sea-orm-migration]
 version = "1.1.0"
diff --git a/loco-new/src/bin/main.rs b/loco-new/src/bin/main.rs
index 7b3650e8..b0b3dc44 100644
--- a/loco-new/src/bin/main.rs
+++ b/loco-new/src/bin/main.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-use duct::cmd;
-use std::process::exit;
 use std::{
+    env,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
-    process::Command,
+    process::{exit, Command},
     sync::Arc,
 };
 
 use clap::{Parser, Subcommand};
+use duct::cmd;
 use loco::{
     generator::{executer, extract_default_template, Generator},
     settings::Settings,
@@ -107,7 +107,12 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                 let executor =
                     executer::FileSystem::new(generator_tmp_folder.as_path(), to.as_path());
 
-                let settings = Settings::from_wizard(&app_name, &user_selection);
+                let mut settings = Settings::from_wizard(&app_name, &user_selection);
+
+                if let Ok(path) = env::var("LOCO_DEV_MODE_PATH") {
+                    println!("⚠️ NOTICE: working in dev mode, pointing to local Loco on '{path}'");
+                    settings.loco_version_text = format!(r#"version="*", path="{path}""#);
+                }
 
                 let res = match Generator::new(Arc::new(executor), settings).run() {
                     Ok(()) => {
diff --git a/loco-new/src/lib.rs b/loco-new/src/lib.rs
index 391994fe..70f1be82 100644
--- a/loco-new/src/lib.rs
+++ b/loco-new/src/lib.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ pub mod wizard_opts;
 
 pub type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, Error>;
 
+/// Matching minimal Loco version
+pub const LOCO_VERSION: &str = "0.13";
+
 #[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
 pub enum Error {
     #[error("{0}")]
diff --git a/loco-new/src/settings.rs b/loco-new/src/settings.rs
index 5c3574c7..3767181f 100644
--- a/loco-new/src/settings.rs
+++ b/loco-new/src/settings.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 //! Defines configurable application settings.
 
-use crate::{wizard, wizard_opts};
 use heck::ToSnakeCase;
 use rhai::{CustomType, TypeBuilder};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
+use crate::{wizard, wizard_opts, LOCO_VERSION};
+
 /// Represents general application settings.
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, Debug, Default, CustomType)]
 pub struct Settings {
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ pub struct Settings {
     pub mailer: bool,
     pub initializers: Option<Initializers>,
     pub features: Features,
+    pub loco_version_text: String,
 }
 
 impl From<wizard_opts::DBOption> for Option<Db> {
@@ -77,6 +79,7 @@ impl Settings {
                 None
             },
             features,
+            loco_version_text: format!(r#"version = "{LOCO_VERSION}""#),
         }
     }
 }