diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 44239bf250..f4d6b39371 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Build, test and upload executables to GitHub
 # depends on pre-installed software; see image definitions:
-#  - https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/linux/Ubuntu2004-Readme.md
+#  - https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/linux/Ubuntu2404-Readme.md
 #  - https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/main/images/macos/macos-12-Readme.md
 # We use these tools from the runner images: git, gcc/XCode/MSVC, swig, Tcl/Tk on MacOS, pkg-config
 
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: [
-          ubuntu-latest,
+          # Use v24 beta for now to get newer SWIG; TODO: change back to ubuntu-latest once it points to v24
+          ubuntu-24.04,
           # latest available X86_64 target
           macos-12,
           # latest is ARM
diff --git a/Core/ClientSMLSWIG/Python/SConscript b/Core/ClientSMLSWIG/Python/SConscript
index 27f074f16d..ff64812cfb 100644
--- a/Core/ClientSMLSWIG/Python/SConscript
+++ b/Core/ClientSMLSWIG/Python/SConscript
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ if "SOAR_PYTHON_ABI3" in env["ENV"]:
         clone.Append(CPPDEFINES = { 'Py_LIMITED_API': api_version })
     else:
         print("'Requested building Python SML bindings with Python's Limited API, "
-              "while SWIG does not support it, aborting.'", file=sys.stderr)
+              f"but SWIG does not support it (need 4.2.0, have {'.'.join(env['SWIG_VERSION'])}); aborting.'", file=sys.stderr)
         Exit(1)
 else:
     print("SOAR_PYTHON_ABI3 not defined, building Python SML bindings with full (less portable) Python API...")