diff --git a/crates/pixi_build_frontend/src/protocols/builders/rattler_build.rs b/crates/pixi_build_frontend/src/protocols/builders/rattler_build.rs
index 2ef07ea32..becff6077 100644
--- a/crates/pixi_build_frontend/src/protocols/builders/rattler_build.rs
+++ b/crates/pixi_build_frontend/src/protocols/builders/rattler_build.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ use crate::{
 };
 
 const DEFAULT_BUILD_TOOL: &str = "pixi-build-rattler-build";
-const DEFAULT_CHANNEL: &str = "https://prefix.dev/pixi-build-backends";
 
 #[derive(Debug, Error, Diagnostic)]
 pub enum FinishError {
diff --git a/examples/boltons/pixi.toml b/examples/boltons/pixi.toml
index b1ddc2fd0..e3977bcd0 100644
--- a/examples/boltons/pixi.toml
+++ b/examples/boltons/pixi.toml
@@ -23,9 +23,8 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 
 
 [build-system]
-build-backend = "pixi-build-rattler-build"
+build-backend = { name = "pixi-build-rattler-build", version = "*"}
 channels = [
   "https://repo.prefix.dev/pixi-build-backends",
   "https://fast.prefix.dev/conda-forge",
-]
-dependencies = ["pixi-build-rattler-build"]
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/cpp-sdl/pixi.lock b/examples/cpp-sdl/pixi.lock
index c8e70b59c..ff96123bc 100644
--- a/examples/cpp-sdl/pixi.lock
+++ b/examples/cpp-sdl/pixi.lock
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ packages:
   - libstdcxx >=14
   - libgcc >=14
   input:
-    hash: e15d918ba08c91b2a76a222f189538832b722b151ce7de1f26f6f3804107e401
+    hash: e33768405651726cdb3c717da9527c7d4084414ac5b0cb1610e3510a585a7008
     globs:
     - pixi.toml
 - conda: .
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ packages:
   depends:
   - libcxx >=19
   input:
-    hash: e15d918ba08c91b2a76a222f189538832b722b151ce7de1f26f6f3804107e401
+    hash: e33768405651726cdb3c717da9527c7d4084414ac5b0cb1610e3510a585a7008
     globs:
     - pixi.toml
 - conda: .
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ packages:
   depends:
   - libcxx >=19
   input:
-    hash: e15d918ba08c91b2a76a222f189538832b722b151ce7de1f26f6f3804107e401
+    hash: e33768405651726cdb3c717da9527c7d4084414ac5b0cb1610e3510a585a7008
     globs:
     - pixi.toml
 - conda: .
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ packages:
   - vc >=14.1,<15
   - vc14_runtime >=14.16.27033
   input:
-    hash: e15d918ba08c91b2a76a222f189538832b722b151ce7de1f26f6f3804107e401
+    hash: e33768405651726cdb3c717da9527c7d4084414ac5b0cb1610e3510a585a7008
     globs:
     - pixi.toml
 - conda: https://conda.anaconda.org/conda-forge/win-64/ucrt-10.0.22621.0-h57928b3_1.conda
diff --git a/examples/cpp-sdl/pixi.toml b/examples/cpp-sdl/pixi.toml
index 408f4e8d3..d980568a5 100644
--- a/examples/cpp-sdl/pixi.toml
+++ b/examples/cpp-sdl/pixi.toml
@@ -10,12 +10,11 @@ name = "sdl_example"
 version = "0.1.0"
 
 [build-system]
-build-backend = "pixi-build-cmake"
+build-backend = { name = "pixi-build-cmake", version = "*" }
 channels = [
   "https://prefix.dev/pixi-build-backends",
   "https://prefix.dev/conda-forge",
 ]
-dependencies = ["pixi-build-cmake"]
 
 [tasks.start]
 cmd = "sdl_example"
diff --git a/examples/flask-hello-world/pixi.toml b/examples/flask-hello-world/pixi.toml
index d5e573f68..6b38f2d44 100644
--- a/examples/flask-hello-world/pixi.toml
+++ b/examples/flask-hello-world/pixi.toml
@@ -16,9 +16,8 @@ name = "flask-hello-world"
 version = "0.1.0"
 
 [build-system]
-build-backend = "pixi-build-python"
+build-backend = { name = "pixi-build-python", version = "*" }
 channels = [
   "https://fast.prefix.dev/pixi-build-backends",
   "https://fast.prefix.dev/conda-forge",
 ]
-dependencies = ["pixi-build-python"]
diff --git a/schema/model.py b/schema/model.py
index c13cfaadb..d476e6c9c 100644
--- a/schema/model.py
+++ b/schema/model.py
@@ -238,17 +238,15 @@ class MatchspecTable(StrictBaseModel):
 # The Build section #
 #####################
 class BuildSystem(StrictBaseModel):
-    channels: list[Channel] = Field(
-        None,
-        description="The `conda` channels that will be used to get build dependencies",
-    )
-    dependencies: list[MatchSpec] = Field(
-        None, description="The dependencies for the build backend"
-    )
-    build_backend: NonEmptyStr = Field(None, description="The build executable to call")
+    build_backend: BuildBackend = Field(..., description="The build backend to instantiate")
     channels: list[Channel] = Field(
         None, description="The `conda` channels that are used to fetch the build backend from"
     )
+    additional_dependencies: Dependencies = Field(None, description="Additional dependencies to install alongside the build backend")
+
+
+class BuildBackend(MatchspecTable):
+    name: NonEmptyStr = Field(None, description="The name of the build backend package")
 
 
 class _PyPIRequirement(StrictBaseModel):
@@ -610,6 +608,7 @@ class Config:
     dependencies: Dependencies = DependenciesField
     host_dependencies: Dependencies = HostDependenciesField
     build_dependencies: Dependencies = BuildDependenciesField
+    run_dependencies: Dependencies = Field(None,description="The run-dependencies for the [package]")
     pypi_dependencies: dict[PyPIPackageName, PyPIRequirement] | None = Field(
         None, description="The PyPI dependencies"
     )
diff --git a/schema/schema.json b/schema/schema.json
index 3d356dd1c..df7b014a1 100644
--- a/schema/schema.json
+++ b/schema/schema.json
@@ -158,6 +158,22 @@
       "$ref": "#/$defs/PyPIOptions",
       "description": "Options related to PyPI indexes, on the default feature"
     },
+    "run-dependencies": {
+      "title": "Run-Dependencies",
+      "description": "The run-dependencies for the [package]",
+      "type": "object",
+      "additionalProperties": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "type": "string",
+            "minLength": 1
+          },
+          {
+            "$ref": "#/$defs/MatchspecTable"
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    },
     "system-requirements": {
       "$ref": "#/$defs/SystemRequirements",
       "description": "The system requirements of the project"
@@ -246,41 +262,139 @@
         }
       }
     },
-    "BuildSystem": {
-      "title": "BuildSystem",
+    "BuildBackend": {
+      "title": "BuildBackend",
       "type": "object",
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "properties": {
-        "build-backend": {
-          "title": "Build-Backend",
-          "description": "The build executable to call",
+        "branch": {
+          "title": "Branch",
+          "description": "A git branch to use",
           "type": "string",
           "minLength": 1
         },
-        "channels": {
-          "title": "Channels",
-          "description": "The `conda` channels that are used to fetch the build backend from",
-          "type": "array",
-          "items": {
+        "build": {
+          "title": "Build",
+          "description": "The build string of the package",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "build-number": {
+          "title": "Build-Number",
+          "description": "The build number of the package, can be a spec like `>=1` or `<=10` or `1`",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "channel": {
+          "title": "Channel",
+          "description": "The channel the packages needs to be fetched from",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1,
+          "examples": [
+            "conda-forge",
+            "pytorch",
+            "https://repo.prefix.dev/conda-forge"
+          ]
+        },
+        "file-name": {
+          "title": "File-Name",
+          "description": "The file name of the package",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "git": {
+          "title": "Git",
+          "description": "The git URL to the repo",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "md5": {
+          "title": "Md5",
+          "description": "The md5 hash of the package",
+          "type": "string",
+          "pattern": "^[a-fA-F0-9]{32}$"
+        },
+        "name": {
+          "title": "Name",
+          "description": "The name of the build backend package",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "path": {
+          "title": "Path",
+          "description": "The path to the package",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "rev": {
+          "title": "Rev",
+          "description": "A git SHA revision to use",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "sha256": {
+          "title": "Sha256",
+          "description": "The sha256 hash of the package",
+          "type": "string",
+          "pattern": "^[a-fA-F0-9]{64}$"
+        },
+        "subdir": {
+          "title": "Subdir",
+          "description": "The subdir of the package, also known as platform",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "tag": {
+          "title": "Tag",
+          "description": "A git tag to use",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "url": {
+          "title": "Url",
+          "description": "The URL to the package",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        },
+        "version": {
+          "title": "Version",
+          "description": "The version of the package in [MatchSpec](https://github.com/conda/conda/blob/078e7ee79381060217e1ec7f9b0e9cf80ecc8f3f/conda/models/match_spec.py) format",
+          "type": "string",
+          "minLength": 1
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "BuildSystem": {
+      "title": "BuildSystem",
+      "type": "object",
+      "required": [
+        "build-backend"
+      ],
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "additional-dependencies": {
+          "title": "Additional-Dependencies",
+          "description": "Additional dependencies to install alongside the build backend",
+          "type": "object",
+          "additionalProperties": {
             "anyOf": [
               {
                 "type": "string",
                 "minLength": 1
               },
               {
-                "type": "string",
-                "format": "uri",
-                "minLength": 1
-              },
-              {
-                "$ref": "#/$defs/ChannelInlineTable"
+                "$ref": "#/$defs/MatchspecTable"
               }
             ]
           }
         },
-        "dependencies": {
-          "title": "Dependencies",
-          "description": "The dependencies for the build backend",
+        "build-backend": {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/BuildBackend",
+          "description": "The build backend to instantiate"
+        },
+        "channels": {
+          "title": "Channels",
+          "description": "The `conda` channels that are used to fetch the build backend from",
           "type": "array",
           "items": {
             "anyOf": [
@@ -289,7 +403,12 @@
                 "minLength": 1
               },
               {
-                "$ref": "#/$defs/MatchspecTable"
+                "type": "string",
+                "format": "uri",
+                "minLength": 1
+              },
+              {
+                "$ref": "#/$defs/ChannelInlineTable"
               }
             ]
           }