Index: CMakeLists.txt
===================================================================
diff -u -rdfe875a4159529de072df08b6c500707e9312d96 -r5d7e5fb0ae59ff93b2c5756ade0093eb2d5fe41f
--- CMakeLists.txt	(.../CMakeLists.txt)	(revision dfe875a4159529de072df08b6c500707e9312d96)
+++ CMakeLists.txt	(.../CMakeLists.txt)	(revision 5d7e5fb0ae59ff93b2c5756ade0093eb2d5fe41f)
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 )
 
 include(cmake/Debug.cmake)
+include(cmake/PythonVenv.cmake)
 
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
Index: lib/MsgUtils/CMakeLists.txt
===================================================================
diff -u -rfd9c43b00259567ff49a3d9b31b98df75b47bc52 -r5d7e5fb0ae59ff93b2c5756ade0093eb2d5fe41f
--- lib/MsgUtils/CMakeLists.txt	(.../CMakeLists.txt)	(revision fd9c43b00259567ff49a3d9b31b98df75b47bc52)
+++ lib/MsgUtils/CMakeLists.txt	(.../CMakeLists.txt)	(revision 5d7e5fb0ae59ff93b2c5756ade0093eb2d5fe41f)
@@ -11,74 +11,18 @@
 
 find_package(Protobuf REQUIRED)
 find_package(absl REQUIRED)
-find_package(Python3 REQUIRED COMPONENTS Interpreter)
 find_package(QT NAMES Qt6 Qt5 REQUIRED COMPONENTS Core)
 find_package(Qt${QT_VERSION_MAJOR} REQUIRED COMPONENTS Core Network SerialBus)
 
 set(MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/MsgUtils)
 
-# Create a build-local venv so pip install works on distros that enforce PEP 668
-# (Debian/Ubuntu with Python 3.11+, etc.) without polluting system or user site-packages.
-set(MSGUTILS_VENV_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/msgutils-venv)
-set(MSGUTILS_PYTHON ${MSGUTILS_VENV_DIR}/bin/python)
-# Probe pip inside the venv — a half-created venv missing python3-venv has python but no pip.
-execute_process(
-    COMMAND ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON} -m pip --version
-    RESULT_VARIABLE _venv_pip_ok
-    OUTPUT_QUIET
-    ERROR_QUIET
-)
-if(NOT _venv_pip_ok EQUAL 0)
-    message(STATUS "Creating msgutils Python venv at ${MSGUTILS_VENV_DIR}")
-    file(REMOVE_RECURSE ${MSGUTILS_VENV_DIR})
-    execute_process(
-        COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -m venv ${MSGUTILS_VENV_DIR}
-        RESULT_VARIABLE _venv_result
-        OUTPUT_VARIABLE _venv_output
-        ERROR_VARIABLE _venv_output
-    )
-    if(NOT _venv_result EQUAL 0 OR NOT EXISTS ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON})
-        message(FATAL_ERROR
-            "Failed to create venv at ${MSGUTILS_VENV_DIR}.\n"
-            "Install the venv module (e.g. 'sudo apt install python3-venv' or 'python3-full' on Debian/Ubuntu, "
-            "matching your Python version).\n"
-            "Output:\n${_venv_output}")
-    endif()
-    # Verify pip is actually usable in the new venv.
-    execute_process(
-        COMMAND ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON} -m pip --version
-        RESULT_VARIABLE _venv_pip_ok
-        OUTPUT_QUIET
-        ERROR_QUIET
-    )
-    if(NOT _venv_pip_ok EQUAL 0)
-        message(FATAL_ERROR
-            "Venv at ${MSGUTILS_VENV_DIR} was created but pip is not available inside it. "
-            "Install the matching python3-venv package and reconfigure.")
-    endif()
-endif()
-
+# The project-wide venv ({CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/.venv) is set up by
+# cmake/PythonVenv.cmake at the top level; ${PROJECT_PYTHON} resolves to its
+# interpreter. We install the msgutils package editable so the generator
+# scripts below can `import msgutils` regardless of how they're invoked.
 include(cmake/MsgUtils.cmake)
+register_python_package(${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR})
 
-# Upgrade pip to ensure pyproject.toml-based editable installs are supported (requires pip >= 21.3).
-execute_process(
-    COMMAND ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON} -m pip install --upgrade pip --quiet
-    RESULT_VARIABLE _pip_upgrade_result
-)
-if(NOT _pip_upgrade_result EQUAL 0)
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "Failed to upgrade pip in msgutils venv (pip returned ${_pip_upgrade_result})")
-endif()
-
-# install the Python package in editable mode so that the generated protobuf files can be imported by the Python scripts
-# without needing to be copied to the Python package directory
-execute_process(
-    COMMAND ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON} -m pip install -e ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR} --quiet
-    RESULT_VARIABLE _pip_result
-)
-if(NOT _pip_result EQUAL 0)
-    message(FATAL_ERROR "Failed to install msgutils Python package (pip returned ${_pip_result})")
-endif()
-
 # set(DENALI_MSG_CSV ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../data/FW_Messages_List.csv)
 set(LEAHI_MSG_CSV ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../data/Leahi_Staging_FW_Messages_List.csv)
 set(LEAHI_MSG_CONF ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../data/LeahiUnhandled.conf)
Index: lib/MsgUtils/cmake/MsgUtils.cmake
===================================================================
diff -u -r864d025811eb43fd2592bde174e5cb41fa10d783 -r5d7e5fb0ae59ff93b2c5756ade0093eb2d5fe41f
--- lib/MsgUtils/cmake/MsgUtils.cmake	(.../MsgUtils.cmake)	(revision 864d025811eb43fd2592bde174e5cb41fa10d783)
+++ lib/MsgUtils/cmake/MsgUtils.cmake	(.../MsgUtils.cmake)	(revision 5d7e5fb0ae59ff93b2c5756ade0093eb2d5fe41f)
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
             ${_header_path}
             ${_source_path}
         COMMAND
-            ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON} ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR}/GenerateMsgDefsCpp.py
+            ${PROJECT_PYTHON} ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR}/GenerateMsgDefsCpp.py
                 --namespace ${_namespace}
                 --header_dir ${_header_dir}
                 --source_dir ${_source_dir}
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
         OUTPUT
             ${_protobuf_abs_filename}
         COMMAND
-            ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON} ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR}/GenerateProtobuf.py
+            ${PROJECT_PYTHON} ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR}/GenerateProtobuf.py
                 --namespace ${_namespace}
                 --output_dir ${_output_path}
                 ${${_input_confs}}
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
             ${_header_path}
             ${_source_path}
         COMMAND
-            ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON} ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR}/GenerateMsgDefsCpp.py
+            ${PROJECT_PYTHON} ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR}/GenerateMsgDefsCpp.py
                 --namespace ${_namespace}
                 --header_dir ${_header_dir}
                 --source_dir ${_source_dir}
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@
         OUTPUT
             ${_protobuf_abs_filename}
         COMMAND
-            ${MSGUTILS_PYTHON} ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR}/GenerateProtobuf.py
+            ${PROJECT_PYTHON} ${MSGUTILS_SCRIPTS_DIR}/GenerateProtobuf.py
                 --namespace ${_namespace}
                 --output_dir ${_output_path}
                 ${${_input_csvs}}