diff --git a/scripts/append_extension_metadata.py b/scripts/append_extension_metadata.py
index 277d5d3..d15262d 100644
--- a/scripts/append_extension_metadata.py
+++ b/scripts/append_extension_metadata.py
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ def main():
 
     arg_parser.add_argument('-dv', '--duckdb-version', type=str, help='The DuckDB version to encode, depending on the ABI type '
                                                                'this encodes the duckdb version or the C API version', required=True)
-    arg_parser.add_argument('-ev', '--extension-version', type=str, help='The Extension version to encode', required=True)
+    arg_parser.add_argument('-ev', '--extension-version', type=str, help='The Extension version to encode')
+    arg_parser.add_argument('-evf', '--extension-version-file', type=str, help='The file containing the Extension version to encode')
+
     arg_parser.add_argument('--abi-type', type=str, help='The ABI type to encode, set to C_STRUCT by default', default='C_STRUCT')
 
     args = arg_parser.parse_args()
@@ -70,6 +72,23 @@ def main():
     else:
         raise Exception(f"Neither --duckdb-platform nor --duckdb-platform-file found, please specify the platform using either")
 
+    EXTENSION_VERSION = ""
+    if args.extension_version:
+        EXTENSION_VERSION = args.extension_version
+    elif args.extension_version_file:
+        try:
+            with open(args.extension_version_file, 'r') as file:
+                EXTENSION_VERSION = file.read().strip()
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Failed to read extension version from file {args.extension_version_file}")
+            raise
+        if not EXTENSION_VERSION:
+            raise Exception(f"Extension version file passed to script is empty: {args.extension_version_file}")
+    else:
+        raise Exception(f"Neither --extension-version nor --extension-version-file found, please specify the extension version using either")
+
+
+
     # Then append the metadata to the tmp file
     print(f" - Metadata:")
     with open(OUTPUT_FILE_TMP, 'ab') as file:
@@ -82,8 +101,8 @@ def main():
         file.write(padded_byte_string(""))
         print(f"   - FIELD5 (abi_type)          = {args.abi_type}")
         file.write(padded_byte_string(args.abi_type))
-        print(f"   - FIELD4 (extension_version) = {args.extension_version}")
-        file.write(padded_byte_string(args.extension_version))
+        print(f"   - FIELD4 (extension_version) = {EXTENSION_VERSION}")
+        file.write(padded_byte_string(EXTENSION_VERSION))
         print(f"   - FIELD3 (duckdb_version)    = {args.duckdb_version}")
         file.write(padded_byte_string(args.duckdb_version))
         print(f"   - FIELD2 (duckdb_platform)   = {PLATFORM}")
diff --git a/scripts/configure_helper.py b/scripts/configure_helper.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9685410
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/configure_helper.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import subprocess
+import argparse
+from pathlib import Path
+import os
+
+def main():
+    arg_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Script to aid in running the configure step of the extension build process')
+
+
+    arg_parser.add_argument('-o', '--output-directory', type=str, help='Specify the output directory', default='configure')
+
+    arg_parser.add_argument('-ev', '--extension-version', help='Write the autodetected extension version', action='store_true')
+    arg_parser.add_argument('-p', '--duckdb-platform', help='Write the auto-detected duckdb platform', action='store_true')
+
+    args = arg_parser.parse_args()
+
+    OUTPUT_DIR = args.output_directory
+
+    Path(OUTPUT_DIR).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+    # Write version
+    if args.extension_version:
+        git_tag = subprocess.getoutput("git tag --points-at HEAD")
+        if git_tag:
+            EXTENSION_VERSION = git_tag
+        else:
+            EXTENSION_VERSION = subprocess.getoutput("git --no-pager log -1 --format=%h")
+
+        version_file = Path(os.path.join(OUTPUT_DIR, "extension_version.txt"))
+        with open(version_file, 'w') as f:
+            print(f"Writing version {EXTENSION_VERSION} to {version_file}")
+            f.write(EXTENSION_VERSION)
+
+    # Write duck
+    if args.duckdb_platform:
+        import duckdb
+        platform_file = Path(os.path.join(OUTPUT_DIR, "platform.txt"))
+        duckdb_platform = duckdb.execute('pragma platform').fetchone()[0]
+        with open(platform_file, 'w') as f:
+            print(f"Writing platform {duckdb_platform} to {platform_file}")
+            f.write(duckdb_platform)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()
\ No newline at end of file