diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 1688aeb72..9c6bb33b8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -51,20 +51,20 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         include:
-          - desc: gcc9/C++17 llvm11 py3.7 oiio2.5 sse4 batch-b8avx2
-            nametag: linux-vfx2021
-            runner: ubuntu-latest
-            container: aswftesting/ci-osl:2021-clang11
-            vfxyear: 2021
-            old_node: 1
-            cxx_std: 17
-            openexr_ver: v3.1.3
-            openimageio_ver: v2.5.4.0
-            python_ver: 3.7
-            pybind11_ver: v2.7.0
-            simd: sse4.2
-            batched: b8_AVX2_noFMA
-            setenvs: export USE_OPENVDB=0
+          # - desc: gcc9/C++17 llvm11 py3.7 oiio2.5 sse4 batch-b8avx2
+          #   nametag: linux-vfx2021
+          #   runner: ubuntu-latest
+          #   container: aswftesting/ci-osl:2021-clang11
+          #   vfxyear: 2021
+          #   old_node: 1
+          #   cxx_std: 17
+          #   openexr_ver: v3.1.3
+          #   openimageio_ver: v2.5.4.0
+          #   python_ver: 3.7
+          #   pybind11_ver: v2.7.0
+          #   simd: sse4.2
+          #   batched: b8_AVX2_noFMA
+          #   setenvs: export USE_OPENVDB=0
           - desc: gcc9/C++17 llvm13 py3.9 exr3.1 oiio-rel avx2
             nametag: linux-vfx2022
             runner: ubuntu-latest
@@ -104,16 +104,16 @@ jobs:
             pybind11_ver: v2.9.0
             simd: sse2
             batched: b4_SSE2
-          - desc: oldest everything gcc9/C++17 llvm9 py3.7 oiio2.5 no-simd
+          - desc: oldest everything gcc9/C++17 llvm11 py3.9 oiio2.5 no-simd
             nametag: linux-oldest
             runner: ubuntu-latest
-            container: aswftesting/ci-osl:2021-clang11
-            vfxyear: 2021
+            container: aswftesting/ci-osl:2022-clang11
+            vfxyear: 2022
             old_node: 1
             cxx_std: 17
             openexr_ver: v3.1.0
             openimageio_ver: v2.5.4.0
-            python_ver: 3.7
+            python_ver: 3.9
             pybind11_ver: v2.7.0
             # simd: 0
             setenvs: export PUGIXML_VERSION=v1.8
diff --git a/INSTALL.md b/INSTALL.md
index 70b41cf01..e78fb9c63 100644
--- a/INSTALL.md
+++ b/INSTALL.md
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ NEW or CHANGED minimum dependencies since the last major release are **bold**.
   be operative.
 * (optional) Python: If you are building the Python bindings or running the
   testsuite:
-    * **Python >= 3.7** (tested through 3.13)
+    * **Python >= 3.9** (tested through 3.13)
     * **pybind11 >= 2.7** (tested through 3.0)
     * NumPy (tested through 2.2.4)
 * (optional) Qt5 >= 5.6 or Qt6 (tested Qt5 through 5.15 and Qt6 through 6.8).
diff --git a/src/cmake/pythonutils.cmake b/src/cmake/pythonutils.cmake
index ed805ed74..2fd050fde 100644
--- a/src/cmake/pythonutils.cmake
+++ b/src/cmake/pythonutils.cmake
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ macro (find_python)
     endif ()
     checked_find_package (Python3 ${PYTHON_VERSION}
                           ${_req}
-                          VERSION_MIN 3.7
+                          VERSION_MIN 3.9
                           COMPONENTS Interpreter Development
                           PRINT Python3_VERSION Python3_EXECUTABLE
                                 Python3_LIBRARIES