diff --git a/dependencies.yaml b/dependencies.yaml
index a797065d..f63ae126 100644
--- a/dependencies.yaml
+++ b/dependencies.yaml
@@ -152,9 +152,10 @@ dependencies:
           - matrix: {cuda: "11.*"}
             packages:
               - libucx-cu11>=1.15.0,<1.15.1
+          # this fallback is intentionally empty... it simplifies building from source
+          # without CUDA, e.g. 'pip install .'
           - matrix: null
-            packages:
-              - libucx==1.15.0,<1.15.1
+            packages: null
   depends_on_ucx_run:
     common:
       - output_types: conda
@@ -174,9 +175,10 @@ dependencies:
           - matrix: {cuda: "11.*"}
             packages:
               - libucx-cu11>=1.15.0,<1.16
+          # this fallback is intentionally empty... it simplifies building from source
+          # without CUDA, e.g. 'pip install .'
           - matrix: null
-            packages:
-              - libucx>=1.15.0,<1.16
+            packages: null
   test_python:
     common:
       - output_types: [conda, requirements, pyproject]
diff --git a/docs/source/install.rst b/docs/source/install.rst
index fc1fd551..ac3038f5 100644
--- a/docs/source/install.rst
+++ b/docs/source/install.rst
@@ -170,6 +170,6 @@ Building and installing UCX-Py can be done via `pip install`. For example:
     conda activate ucx
     git clone https://github.com/rapidsai/ucx-py.git
     cd ucx-py
-    pip install -v -C rapidsai.matrix-entry="cuda=12.2" .
+    pip install -v .
     # or for develop build
-    pip install -v -e -C rapidsai.matrix-entry="cuda=12.2" .
+    pip install -v -e .
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f33b3256..fc20b787 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ authors = [
 license = { text = "BSD-3-Clause" }
 requires-python = ">=3.9"
 dependencies = [
-    "libucx>=1.15.0,<1.16",
     "numpy>=1.23,<2.0a0",
     "pynvml>=11.4.1",
 ] # This list was generated by `rapids-dependency-file-generator`. To make changes, edit dependencies.yaml and run `rapids-dependency-file-generator`.
@@ -117,11 +116,11 @@ commit-files = [
     "ucp/COMMIT_FILE"
 ]
 # by default, do not rename the package 'ucx-py-cu${ver}'
+# (this is overridden in wheel publishing)
 disable-cuda=true
 dependencies-file = "dependencies.yaml"
 requires = [
     "cython>=3.0.0",
-    "libucx==1.15.0,<1.15.1",
 ] # This list was generated by `rapids-dependency-file-generator`. To make changes, edit dependencies.yaml and run `rapids-dependency-file-generator`.
 
 [tool.setuptools]