diff --git a/.github/workflows/mypy-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/mypy-pr.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c104925
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/mypy-pr.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+name: Type annotation (PR)
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - 'datalad_core/**.py'
+      - '!**/tests/**.py'
+
+jobs:
+  check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Setup Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          # run on a "fresh" python, but see mypy flag to check for the oldest supported version
+          python-version: 3.12
+          architecture: x64
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Install hatch (which pull mypy)
+        run: python -m pip install hatch
+      - name: Get Python changed files
+        id: changed-py-files
+        uses: tj-actions/changed-files@v44
+        with:
+          files: |
+            *.py
+            **/*.py
+      - name: Type check changed files
+        if: steps.changed-py-files.outputs.any_changed == 'true'
+        run: |
+          # get any type stubs that mypy thinks it needs
+          hatch run types:mypy --install-types --non-interactive --follow-imports skip ${{ steps.changed-py-files.outputs.all_changed_files }}
+          # run mypy on the modified files only, and do not even follow imports.
+          # this results is a fairly superficial test, but given the overall
+          # state of annotations, we strive to become more correct incrementally
+          # with focused error reports, rather than barfing a huge complaint
+          # that is unrelated to the changeset someone has been working on.
+          # run on the oldest supported Python version
+          hatch run types:mypy --python-version 3.9 --follow-imports skip --pretty --show-error-context ${{ steps.changed-py-files.outputs.all_changed_files }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mypy-project.yml b/.github/workflows/mypy-project.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96eef00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/mypy-project.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+name: Type annotation (project)
+
+on:
+  push:
+    paths:
+      - 'datalad_core/**.py'
+      - '!**/tests/**.py'
+
+jobs:
+  check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Setup Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          # run on a "fresh" python, but see mypy flag to check for the oldest supported version
+          python-version: 3.12
+          architecture: x64
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Install hatch (which pull mypy)
+        run: python -m pip install hatch
+      - name: Type check project
+        run: |
+          # get any type stubs that mypy thinks it needs
+          hatch run types:mypy --install-types --non-interactive --follow-imports skip datalad_core
+          # run mypy on the full project.
+          # run on the oldest supported Python version
+          hatch run types:mypy --python-version 3.9 --pretty --show-error-context datalad_core
diff --git a/datalad_core/__init__.py b/datalad_core/__init__.py
index e69de29..9d48db4 100644
--- a/datalad_core/__init__.py
+++ b/datalad_core/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 3b9a0f3..6b58b0b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ extra-dependencies = [
   # https://github.com/pypa/hatch/issues/1565#issuecomment-2163773123
   "pytest-cov",
 ]
+
+[tool.hatch.envs.types]
+extra-dependencies = [
+  "mypy>=1.0.0",
+  "pytest",
+]
+[tool.hatch.envs.types.scripts]
+check = [
+  "mypy --install-types --non-interactive --python-version 3.9 --pretty --show-error-context datalad_core",
+]
+
 [tool.hatch.envs.docs]
 extra-dependencies = [
   "sphinx",
@@ -126,10 +137,31 @@ quote-style = "single"
 
 [tool.commitizen]
 name = "cz_customize"
+tag_format = "v$version"
+version_scheme = "pep440"
+version_provider = "scm"
+changelog_incremental = true
+template = ".changelog.md.j2"
+gpg_sign = true
 
 [tool.commitizen.customize]
 commit_parser = "^((?P<change_type>feat|fix|rf|perf|test|doc|BREAKING CHANGE)(?:\\((?P<scope>[^()\r\n]*)\\)|\\()?(?P<breaking>!)?|\\w+!):\\s(?P<message>.*)?(?P<body>.*)?"
 change_type_order = ["BREAKING CHANGE", "feat", "fix", "rf", "perf", "doc", "test"]
+changelog_pattern = "^((BREAKING[\\-\\ ]CHANGE|\\w+)(\\(.+\\))?!?):"
+bump_pattern = "^((BREAKING[\\-\\ ]CHANGE|\\w+)(\\(.+\\))?!?):"
 schema_pattern = "(?s)(ci|doc|feat|fix|perf|rf|style|test|chore|revert|bump)(\\(\\S+\\))?!?:( [^\\n\\r]+)((\\n\\n.*)|(\\s*))?$"
 
+[tool.commitizen.customize.bump_map]
+"^\\w+!" = "MAJOR"
+"^BREAKING" = "MAJOR"
+"^feat" = "MINOR"
+"^fix" = "PATCH"
 
+[tool.commitizen.customize.change_type_map]
+"BREAKING CHANGE" = "Breaking changes"
+doc = "Documentation"
+feat = "New features"
+fix = "Bug Fixes"
+test = "Tests"
+rf = "Refactorings"
+perf = "Performance improvements"