diff --git a/.clippy.toml b/.clippy.toml
index 7c7c792b85..3d894c832e 100644
--- a/.clippy.toml
+++ b/.clippy.toml
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-msrv = "1.70.0"
+msrv = "1.81.0"
 cognitive-complexity-threshold = 18
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 4349fa3e90..57a9e664cd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest]
-        rust: [nightly, stable, '1.70']
+        rust: [nightly, stable, '1.81']
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.rust == 'nightly' }}
 
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ jobs:
         toolchain: ${{ matrix.rust }}
         components: clippy
 
+    - name: Override rust toolchain
+      run: rustup override set ${{ matrix.rust }}
+
     - name: Rustup Show
       run: rustup show
 
@@ -89,7 +92,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        rust: [nightly, stable, '1.70']
+        rust: [nightly, stable, '1.81']
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.rust == 'nightly' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -112,6 +115,12 @@ jobs:
     - name: Manually install target
       run: rustup target add x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
 
+    - name: Override rust toolchain
+      run: rustup override set ${{ matrix.rust }}
+
+    - name: Rustup Show
+      run: rustup show
+
     - name: Setup MUSL
       run: |
         sudo apt-get -qq install musl-tools
@@ -135,7 +144,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        rust: [nightly, stable, '1.70']
+        rust: [nightly, stable, '1.81']
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.rust == 'nightly' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -151,6 +160,10 @@ jobs:
       uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
       with:
         toolchain: ${{ matrix.rust }}
+
+    - name: Override rust toolchain
+      run: rustup override set ${{ matrix.rust }}
+
     - name: Setup ARM toolchain
       run: |
         rustup target add aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
@@ -166,6 +179,9 @@ jobs:
         echo "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/gcc-arm-8.2-2018.08-x86_64-aarch64-linux-gnu/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
         echo "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/gcc-arm-8.2-2018.08-x86_64-arm-linux-gnueabihf/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
 
+    - name: Rustup Show
+      run: rustup show
+
     - name: Build Debug
       run: |
         make build-linux-arm-debug
@@ -179,7 +195,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        rust: [nightly, stable, '1.70']
+        rust: [nightly, stable, '1.81']
     continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.rust == 'nightly' }}
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -195,9 +211,16 @@ jobs:
       uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
       with:
         toolchain: ${{ matrix.rust }}
+
+    - name: Override rust toolchain
+      run: rustup override set ${{ matrix.rust }}
+
     - name: Setup target
       run: rustup target add x86_64-apple-darwin
 
+    - name: Rustup Show
+      run: rustup show
+
     - name: Build Debug
       run: |
         make build-apple-x86-debug
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 47231d74b1..a8fe41fdd9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 * add `use_selection_fg` to theme file to allow customizing selection foreground color [[@Upsylonbare](https://github.com/Upsylonbare)] ([#2515](https://github.com/gitui-org/gitui/pull/2515))
 
 ### Changed
+* increase MSRV from 1.70 to 1.81 [[@naseschwarz](https://github.com/naseschwarz)] ([#2094](https://github.com/gitui-org/gitui/issues/2094))
 * improve syntax highlighting file detection [[@acuteenvy](https://github.com/acuteenvy)] ([#2524](https://github.com/extrawurst/gitui/pull/2524))
 * Updated project links to point to `gitui-org` instead of `extrawurst`  [[@vasleymus](https://github.com/vasleymus)] ([#2538](https://github.com/gitui-org/gitui/pull/2538))
 * After commit: jump back to unstaged area [[@tommady](https://github.com/tommady)] ([#2476](https://github.com/extrawurst/gitui/issues/2476))
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8d5b5e2fad..ae7b777f08 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ version = "0.27.0"
 authors = ["extrawurst <mail@rusticorn.com>"]
 description = "blazing fast terminal-ui for git"
 edition = "2021"
-rust-version = "1.70"
+rust-version = "1.81"
 exclude = [".github/*", ".vscode/*", "assets/*"]
 homepage = "https://github.com/gitui-org/gitui"
 repository = "https://github.com/gitui-org/gitui"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4b8b90e7d6..dd4270d6ed 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ see [NIGHTLIES.md](./NIGHTLIES.md)
 
 ### Requirements
 
-- Minimum supported `rust`/`cargo` version: `1.70`
+- Minimum supported `rust`/`cargo` version: `1.81`
   - See [Install Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install)
 
 - To build openssl dependency (see https://docs.rs/openssl/latest/openssl/)
diff --git a/asyncgit/src/sync/branch/mod.rs b/asyncgit/src/sync/branch/mod.rs
index 66e47aa65b..81ec2ec586 100644
--- a/asyncgit/src/sync/branch/mod.rs
+++ b/asyncgit/src/sync/branch/mod.rs
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ mod tests_branches {
 			&root.as_os_str().to_str().unwrap().into();
 
 		let upstream_merge_res =
-			get_branch_upstream_merge(&repo_path, "master");
+			get_branch_upstream_merge(repo_path, "master");
 		assert!(
 			upstream_merge_res.is_ok_and(|v| v.as_ref().is_none())
 		);
@@ -721,12 +721,12 @@ mod tests_branches {
 		config
 			.set_str(
 				&format!("branch.{branch_name}.merge"),
-				&upstrem_merge,
+				upstrem_merge,
 			)
 			.expect("fail set branch merge config");
 
 		let upstream_merge_res =
-			get_branch_upstream_merge(&repo_path, &branch_name);
+			get_branch_upstream_merge(repo_path, branch_name);
 		assert!(upstream_merge_res
 			.as_ref()
 			.is_ok_and(|v| v.as_ref().is_some()));
diff --git a/asyncgit/src/sync/hooks.rs b/asyncgit/src/sync/hooks.rs
index b78f25d9e9..111b426259 100644
--- a/asyncgit/src/sync/hooks.rs
+++ b/asyncgit/src/sync/hooks.rs
@@ -230,11 +230,8 @@ mod tests {
 		create_hook_in_path(&hooks_folder.join("commit-msg"), hook);
 
 		let mut msg = String::from("test");
-		let res = hooks_commit_msg(
-			&hooks_folder.to_path_buf().into(),
-			&mut msg,
-		)
-		.unwrap();
+		let res =
+			hooks_commit_msg(&hooks_folder.into(), &mut msg).unwrap();
 		assert_eq!(
 			res,
 			HookResult::NotOk(String::from("rejected\n"))
diff --git a/asyncgit/src/sync/remotes/push.rs b/asyncgit/src/sync/remotes/push.rs
index 707f7572ad..0916bfdc91 100644
--- a/asyncgit/src/sync/remotes/push.rs
+++ b/asyncgit/src/sync/remotes/push.rs
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ mod tests {
 
 		// Attempt force push,
 		// should work as it forces the push through
-		assert!(!push_branch(
+		assert!(push_branch(
 			&tmp_other_repo_dir.path().to_str().unwrap().into(),
 			"origin",
 			"master",
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ mod tests {
 			None,
 			None,
 		)
-		.is_err());
+		.is_ok());
 	}
 
 	#[test]
diff --git a/asyncgit/src/sync/stash.rs b/asyncgit/src/sync/stash.rs
index c496168116..8a65f92feb 100644
--- a/asyncgit/src/sync/stash.rs
+++ b/asyncgit/src/sync/stash.rs
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ mod tests {
 		let repo_path: &RepoPath =
 			&root.as_os_str().to_str().unwrap().into();
 
-		assert!(!stash_save(repo_path, None, true, false).is_ok());
+		assert!(stash_save(repo_path, None, true, false).is_err());
 
 		assert!(get_stashes(repo_path).unwrap().is_empty());
 	}
diff --git a/asyncgit/src/sync/utils.rs b/asyncgit/src/sync/utils.rs
index 8e767bbfd4..ebae31beb0 100644
--- a/asyncgit/src/sync/utils.rs
+++ b/asyncgit/src/sync/utils.rs
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ mod tests {
 		let root = repo.path().parent().unwrap();
 		let repo_path = root.as_os_str().to_str().unwrap();
 
-		assert!(!stage_add_file(&repo_path.into(), file_path).is_ok());
+		assert!(stage_add_file(&repo_path.into(), file_path).is_err());
 	}
 
 	#[test]
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ mod tests {
 		let repo_path: &RepoPath =
 			&root.as_os_str().to_str().unwrap().into();
 
-		assert!(!get_head(repo_path).is_ok());
+		assert!(get_head(repo_path).is_err());
 
 		Ok(())
 	}
diff --git a/git2-hooks/src/hookspath.rs b/git2-hooks/src/hookspath.rs
index 1518bfd76f..a601b159c2 100644
--- a/git2-hooks/src/hookspath.rs
+++ b/git2-hooks/src/hookspath.rs
@@ -331,8 +331,8 @@ mod test {
 	fn test_hookspath_relative() {
 		assert_eq!(
 			HookPaths::expand_path(
-				&Path::new("pre-commit"),
-				&Path::new("example_git_root"),
+				Path::new("pre-commit"),
+				Path::new("example_git_root"),
 			)
 			.unwrap(),
 			Path::new("example_git_root").join("pre-commit")
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ mod test {
 		assert_eq!(
 			HookPaths::expand_path(
 				&absolute_hook,
-				&Path::new("example_git_root"),
+				Path::new("example_git_root"),
 			)
 			.unwrap(),
 			absolute_hook
diff --git a/src/args.rs b/src/args.rs
index 8ef3aeb42f..6c09317314 100644
--- a/src/args.rs
+++ b/src/args.rs
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ fn setup_logging(path_override: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<()> {
 		path
 	};
 
-	println!("Logging enabled. Log written to: {path:?}");
+	println!("Logging enabled. Log written to: {}", path.display());
 
 	WriteLogger::init(
 		LevelFilter::Trace,
diff --git a/src/components/commitlist.rs b/src/components/commitlist.rs
index d45bec1739..dde38ba06e 100644
--- a/src/components/commitlist.rs
+++ b/src/components/commitlist.rs
@@ -488,24 +488,36 @@ impl CommitList {
 			txt.push(splitter.clone());
 		}
 
-		let style_hash = normal
-			.then(|| theme.commit_hash(selected))
-			.unwrap_or_else(|| theme.commit_unhighlighted());
-		let style_time = normal
-			.then(|| theme.commit_time(selected))
-			.unwrap_or_else(|| theme.commit_unhighlighted());
-		let style_author = normal
-			.then(|| theme.commit_author(selected))
-			.unwrap_or_else(|| theme.commit_unhighlighted());
-		let style_tags = normal
-			.then(|| theme.tags(selected))
-			.unwrap_or_else(|| theme.commit_unhighlighted());
-		let style_branches = normal
-			.then(|| theme.branch(selected, true))
-			.unwrap_or_else(|| theme.commit_unhighlighted());
-		let style_msg = normal
-			.then(|| theme.text(true, selected))
-			.unwrap_or_else(|| theme.commit_unhighlighted());
+		let style_hash = if normal {
+			theme.commit_hash(selected)
+		} else {
+			theme.commit_unhighlighted()
+		};
+		let style_time = if normal {
+			theme.commit_time(selected)
+		} else {
+			theme.commit_unhighlighted()
+		};
+		let style_author = if normal {
+			theme.commit_author(selected)
+		} else {
+			theme.commit_unhighlighted()
+		};
+		let style_tags = if normal {
+			theme.tags(selected)
+		} else {
+			theme.commit_unhighlighted()
+		};
+		let style_branches = if normal {
+			theme.branch(selected, true)
+		} else {
+			theme.commit_unhighlighted()
+		};
+		let style_msg = if normal {
+			theme.text(true, selected)
+		} else {
+			theme.commit_unhighlighted()
+		};
 
 		// commit hash
 		txt.push(Span::styled(Cow::from(&*e.hash_short), style_hash));
@@ -898,7 +910,7 @@ mod tests {
 	impl Default for CommitList {
 		fn default() -> Self {
 			Self {
-				title: String::from("").into_boxed_str(),
+				title: String::new().into_boxed_str(),
 				selection: 0,
 				highlighted_selection: Option::None,
 				highlights: Option::None,