diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 844b51c1..100371db 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.x"
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.x"
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.x"
@@ -56,32 +56,59 @@ jobs:
       - run: nox -s test
 
   build:
-    name:  ${{ matrix.python-version }} ${{ matrix.platform.os }}-${{ matrix.platform.python-architecture }}
+    name: ${{ matrix.python-version }} ${{ matrix.platform.os }}-${{ matrix.platform.python-architecture }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform.os }}
     strategy:
       # If one platform fails, allow the rest to keep testing if `CI-no-fail-fast` label is present
       fail-fast: ${{ !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'CI-no-fail-fast') }}
       matrix:
-        python-version: ["3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12", "3.13", pypy-3.8, pypy-3.9, pypy-3.10]
-        platform: [
-          { os: "macos-latest", python-architecture: "arm64", rust-target: "aarch64-apple-darwin" },
-          { os: "ubuntu-latest", python-architecture: "x64", rust-target: "x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu" },
-          { os: "windows-latest", python-architecture: "x64", rust-target: "x86_64-pc-windows-msvc" },
-        ]
+        python-version:
+          ["3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12", "3.13", pypy-3.9, pypy-3.10]
+        platform:
+          [
+            {
+              os: "macos-latest",
+              python-architecture: "arm64",
+              rust-target: "aarch64-apple-darwin",
+            },
+            {
+              os: "ubuntu-latest",
+              python-architecture: "x64",
+              rust-target: "x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu",
+            },
+            {
+              os: "windows-latest",
+              python-architecture: "x64",
+              rust-target: "x86_64-pc-windows-msvc",
+            },
+          ]
         include:
           # Just test one x86 Windows Python for simplicity
           - python-version: 3.12
-            platform: { os: "windows-latest", python-architecture: "x86", rust-target: "i686-pc-windows-msvc" }
+            platform:
+              {
+                os: "windows-latest",
+                python-architecture: "x86",
+                rust-target: "i686-pc-windows-msvc",
+              }
           # Just test one x64 macOS Python for simplicity
           - python-version: 3.12
-            platform: { os: "macos-13", python-architecture: "x64", rust-target: "x86_64-apple-darwin" }
+            platform:
+              {
+                os: "macos-13",
+                python-architecture: "x64",
+                rust-target: "x86_64-apple-darwin",
+              }
           # Just test one x64 macOS Python for simplicity
         exclude:
           # macOS arm doesn't have Python builds before 3.10
           - python-version: 3.9
-            platform: { os: "macos-latest", python-architecture: "arm64", rust-target: "aarch64-apple-darwin" }
-          - python-version: 3.8
-            platform: { os: "macos-latest", python-architecture: "arm64", rust-target: "aarch64-apple-darwin" }
+            platform:
+              {
+                os: "macos-latest",
+                python-architecture: "arm64",
+                rust-target: "aarch64-apple-darwin",
+              }
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -114,7 +141,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ startsWith(matrix.platform.os, 'macos') && !startsWith(matrix.python-version, 'pypy') }}
         shell: bash
         env:
-          MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET: '10.9'
+          MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET: "10.9"
           ARCHFLAGS: -arch x86_64 -arch arm64
         run: |
           rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin
@@ -199,12 +226,13 @@ jobs:
       # If one platform fails, allow the rest to keep testing if `CI-no-fail-fast` label is present
       fail-fast: ${{ !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'CI-no-fail-fast') }}
       matrix:
-        platform: [
-          { arch: "aarch64" },
-          { arch: "armv7" },
-        ]
+        platform: [{ arch: "aarch64" }, { arch: "armv7" }]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.x"
       - uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
       - run: pip install nox
       - run: nox -s test-crossenv -- ${{ matrix.platform.arch }}
@@ -216,7 +244,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.8
+          python-version: "3.10" # must match the ubuntu version in the install, and also the STANDALONE_PYTHON_VERSION below
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
       - name: Install cross
         uses: taiki-e/install-action@v2
@@ -229,12 +257,16 @@ jobs:
         env:
           CARGO: cross
           CARGO_BUILD_TARGET: aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
-          PYO3_CROSS_LIB_DIR: /opt/python/cp38-cp38/lib
+          PYO3_CROSS_LIB_DIR: /opt/python/cp310-cp310/lib
           DIST_EXTRA_CONFIG: /tmp/build-opts.cfg
         run: |
           cd examples/namespace_package
-          docker build -t cross-pyo3:aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu .
-          python -m pip install build
+          docker build \
+            --build-arg STANDALONE_PYTHON_VERSION=3.10.15 \
+            --build-arg STANDALONE_PYTHON_RELEASE=20241016 \
+            -t cross-pyo3:aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu \
+            .
+          python -m pip install build wheel
           echo -e "[bdist_wheel]\nplat_name=manylinux2014_aarch64" > $DIST_EXTRA_CONFIG
           python -m build --no-isolation
           ls -la dist/
@@ -243,17 +275,19 @@ jobs:
         name: Install built wheel
         with:
           arch: aarch64
-          distro: ubuntu20.04
+          distro: ubuntu22.04
           dockerRunArgs: |
             --volume "${PWD}/examples/namespace_package:/io"
           install: |
             apt-get update
-            apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends python3 python3-pip
+            apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends python3 python3-venv python3-pip
             pip3 install -U pip
           run: |
-            pip3 install namespace_package --no-index --find-links /io/dist/ --force-reinstall
-            python3 -c "from namespace_package import rust; assert rust.rust_func() == 14"
-            python3 -c "from namespace_package import python; assert python.python_func() == 15"
+            python3 -m venv .venv
+            source .venv/bin/activate
+            pip install namespace_package --no-index --find-links /io/dist/ --force-reinstall
+            python -c "from namespace_package import rust; assert rust.rust_func() == 14"
+            python -c "from namespace_package import python; assert python.python_func() == 15"
 
   test-zigbuild:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -262,7 +296,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.8
+          python-version: "3.10" # must match the ubuntu version in the install, and also the version copied out of the docker image below
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
         with:
           targets: aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
@@ -276,13 +310,13 @@ jobs:
         env:
           CARGO: cargo-zigbuild
           CARGO_BUILD_TARGET: aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
-          PYO3_CROSS_LIB_DIR: /opt/python/cp38-cp38/lib
+          PYO3_CROSS_LIB_DIR: /opt/python/cp310-cp310/lib
           DIST_EXTRA_CONFIG: /tmp/build-opts.cfg
         run: |
           mkdir -p $PYO3_CROSS_LIB_DIR
-          docker cp -L $(docker create --rm quay.io/pypa/manylinux2014_aarch64:latest):/opt/python/cp38-cp38 /opt/python
+          docker cp -L $(docker create --rm quay.io/pypa/manylinux2014_aarch64:latest):/opt/python/cp310-cp310 /opt/python
           cd examples/namespace_package
-          python -m pip install build
+          python -m pip install build wheel
           echo -e "[bdist_wheel]\nplat_name=manylinux2014_aarch64" > $DIST_EXTRA_CONFIG
           python -m build --no-isolation
           ls -la dist/
@@ -291,17 +325,18 @@ jobs:
         name: Install built wheel
         with:
           arch: aarch64
-          distro: ubuntu20.04
+          distro: ubuntu22.04
           dockerRunArgs: |
             --volume "${PWD}/examples/namespace_package:/io"
           install: |
             apt-get update
-            apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends python3 python3-pip
-            pip3 install -U pip
+            apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends python3 python3-venv python3-pip
           run: |
-            pip3 install namespace_package --no-index --find-links /io/dist/ --force-reinstall
-            python3 -c "from namespace_package import rust; assert rust.rust_func() == 14"
-            python3 -c "from namespace_package import python; assert python.python_func() == 15"
+            python3 -m venv .venv
+            source .venv/bin/activate
+            pip install namespace_package --no-index --find-links /io/dist/ --force-reinstall
+            python -c "from namespace_package import rust; assert rust.rust_func() == 14"
+            python -c "from namespace_package import python; assert python.python_func() == 15"
 
   test-cibuildwheel:
     runs-on: macos-latest
@@ -325,14 +360,25 @@ jobs:
 
   test-mingw:
     runs-on: windows-latest
-    name:  ${{ matrix.python-version }} mingw-${{ matrix.arch }}
+    name: ${{ matrix.python-version }} mingw-${{ matrix.arch }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        include: [
-          { msystem: MINGW64, arch: x86_64, path: mingw64, rust_target: x86_64-pc-windows-gnu },
-          { msystem: MINGW32, arch: i686, path: mingw32, rust_target: i686-pc-windows-gnu }
-        ]
+        include:
+          [
+            {
+              msystem: MINGW64,
+              arch: x86_64,
+              path: mingw64,
+              rust_target: x86_64-pc-windows-gnu,
+            },
+            {
+              msystem: MINGW32,
+              arch: i686,
+              path: mingw32,
+              rust_target: i686-pc-windows-gnu,
+            },
+          ]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Install MSys2 and dependencies
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 340d9b67..1de64c2f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Unreleased
+### Packaging
+- Drop support for Python 3.8. [#479](https://github.com/PyO3/setuptools-rust/pull/479)
+
 ## 1.10.2 (2024-10-02)
 ### Fixed
 - Fix deprecation warning from use of `wheel.bdist_wheel`.
diff --git a/examples/namespace_package/Dockerfile b/examples/namespace_package/Dockerfile
index b914bbeb..8521494d 100644
--- a/examples/namespace_package/Dockerfile
+++ b/examples/namespace_package/Dockerfile
@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@ FROM quay.io/pypa/manylinux2014_aarch64 AS manylinux
 
 FROM ghcr.io/cross-rs/aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu:edge
 
-RUN curl -L https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone/releases/download/20220318/cpython-3.8.13+20220318-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-install_only.tar.gz | tar -xz -C /usr/local
+ARG STANDALONE_PYTHON_RELEASE
+ARG STANDALONE_PYTHON_VERSION
+
+RUN test -n "$STANDALONE_PYTHON_RELEASE" || (echo "STANDALONE_PYTHON_RELEASE not set" && false)
+RUN test -n "$STANDALONE_PYTHON_VERSION" || (echo "STANDALONE_PYTHON_VERSION not set" && false)
+
+RUN curl -L https://github.com/indygreg/python-build-standalone/releases/download/${STANDALONE_PYTHON_RELEASE}/cpython-${STANDALONE_PYTHON_VERSION}+${STANDALONE_PYTHON_RELEASE}-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu-install_only.tar.gz | tar -xz -C /usr/local
 
 ENV PATH=/usr/local/python/bin:$PATH
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 7dfb36e6..09c2409c 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ name = "setuptools-rust"
 version = "1.10.2"
 description = "Setuptools Rust extension plugin"
 readme = "README.md"
-requires-python = ">=3.8"
+requires-python = ">=3.9"
 keywords = ["distutils", "setuptools", "rust"]
 authors = [
     {name = "Nikolay Kim", email = "fafhrd91@gmail.com"},