diff --git a/oqs/oqs.py b/oqs/oqs.py
index 674f92c..9772e77 100644
--- a/oqs/oqs.py
+++ b/oqs/oqs.py
@@ -170,6 +170,11 @@ def _install_liboqs(
     if oqs_version_to_install is None:
         pass
 
+    elif "dev" in oqs_version_to_install:
+        # Pre-release dev versions of liboqs-python (e.g. 0.16.0.dev0,
+        # 0.16.0-dev) track liboqs main, since no matching tag exists.
+        oqs_version_to_install = None
+
     elif "rc" in oqs_version_to_install:
         # removed the "-" from the version string
         tmp = oqs_version_to_install.split("rc")
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index b50d645..1129b9f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [project]
 name = "liboqs-python"
 requires-python = ">=3.9"
-version = "0.14.0"
+version = "0.16.0-dev"
 description = "Python bindings for liboqs, providing post-quantum public key cryptography algorithms"
 authors = [
     { name = "Open Quantum Safe project", email = "contact@openquantumsafe.org" },