diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index fb1f3366c9..a23dfedc4f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -28,14 +28,18 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         python -m pip install --upgrade pip
         python -m pip install build
+        python -m pip install twine
 
     - name: Build packages
       run: python -m build
 
+    - name: Check metadata verification
+      run: python -m twine check --strict dist/*
+
     # only publish distribution to PyPI for tagged commits
     - name: Publish distribution to PyPI
       if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
       uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@release/v1
       with:
         user: __token__
-        password: ${{ secrets.pypi_password }}
\ No newline at end of file
+        password: ${{ secrets.pypi_password }}
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 6e25d097da..52c5bdd731 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 Source code: https://github.com/pvlib/pvlib-python
 """
+LONG_DESCRIPTION_CONTENT_TYPE = "text/x-rst"
 
 DISTNAME = 'pvlib'
 LICENSE = 'BSD 3-Clause'
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@
       ext_modules=extensions,
       description=DESCRIPTION,
       long_description=LONG_DESCRIPTION,
+      long_description_content_type=LONG_DESCRIPTION_CONTENT_TYPE,
       author=AUTHOR,
       maintainer_email=MAINTAINER_EMAIL,
       license=LICENSE,