diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index f84e8079..5fd99293 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ test_template: &test
     - python3 --version
     - python3 -m venv env
     - . env/bin/activate
-    - python3 -m pip install .[test]
+    - python3 -m pip install -U pip
+    - python3 -m pip install . --group test
     - python3 -m pytest
 
 alpine-3_task:
@@ -55,12 +56,12 @@ manylinux-python3.13t_task:
     PATH: "/opt/python/cp313-cp313t/bin/:${PATH}"
   << : *test
 
-manylinux-python3.8_task:
+manylinux-python3.9_task:
   container:
     dockerfile: ci/manylinux.docker
     cpu: 1
   env:
-    PATH: "/opt/python/cp38-cp38/bin/:${PATH}"
+    PATH: "/opt/python/cp39-cp39/bin/:${PATH}"
   << : *test
 
 miniconda_task:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs.yml b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
index 02070ea0..bc293c40 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.tag || github.ref }}
-      - run: python -m pip install .[docs]
+      - run: python -m pip install --group docs
       - run: python -m sphinx -W docs/ build/docs/
       - uses: actions/upload-pages-artifact@v3
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 9dfd8188..d2209beb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ jobs:
           - macos-13
           - windows-latest
         python:
-          - '3.8'
-          - '3.13'
+          - '3.9'
+          - '3.14'
         meson:
           -
         dependencies:
@@ -61,10 +61,6 @@ jobs:
             python: 'pypy-3.9'
           - os: ubuntu-latest
             python: 'pypy-3.11'
-          - os: ubuntu-latest
-            python: '3.8'
-          - os: ubuntu-latest
-            python: '3.9'
           - os: ubuntu-latest
             python: '3.10'
           # Test with older supported Meson version.  Meson up to
@@ -102,6 +98,9 @@ jobs:
             python: '3.12'
             meson: '~=1.7.0'
             dependencies: 'packaging==23.2'
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            python: '3.13'
+            meson: '~=1.8.0'
           # Test with Meson master branch.
           - os: ubuntu-latest
             python: '3.12'
@@ -140,7 +139,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ matrix.dependencies }}
 
       - name: Install
-        run: python -m pip install .[test]
+        run: python -m pip install . --group test
 
       - name: Run tests
         run: python -m pytest --showlocals -vv --cov --cov-report=xml
@@ -183,7 +182,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ matrix.meson }}
 
       - name: Install
-        run: python -m pip install .[test]
+        run: python -m pip install . --group test
 
       - name: Run tests
         run: python -m pytest --showlocals -vv
@@ -256,7 +255,7 @@ jobs:
           pushd /usr/share/python-wheels/
           python -m pip download setuptools pip
           popd
-          python -m pip install .[test]
+          python -m pip install . --group test
         shell: C:\cygwin\bin\env.exe CYGWIN_NOWINPATH=1 CHERE_INVOKING=1 C:\cygwin\bin\bash.exe -leo pipefail -o igncr {0}
 
       - name: Run tests
@@ -295,7 +294,7 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ matrix.meson }}
 
       - name: Install
-        run: python -m pip install .[test]
+        run: python -m pip install . --group test
 
       - name: Run tests
         run: python -m pytest --showlocals -vv
diff --git a/mesonpy/__init__.py b/mesonpy/__init__.py
index d4dd3bd0..61b69cef 100644
--- a/mesonpy/__init__.py
+++ b/mesonpy/__init__.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 import typing
 import warnings
 
+from functools import cached_property
+
 
 if sys.version_info < (3, 11):
     import tomli as tomllib
@@ -46,13 +48,12 @@
 import packaging.version
 import pyproject_metadata
 
-import mesonpy._compat
 import mesonpy._rpath
 import mesonpy._tags
 import mesonpy._util
 import mesonpy._wheelfile
 
-from mesonpy._compat import cached_property, read_binary
+from mesonpy._compat import read_binary
 
 
 try:
@@ -578,9 +579,7 @@ def _string_or_path(value: Any, name: str) -> str:
         'meson': _string_or_path,
         'limited-api': _bool,
         'allow-windows-internal-shared-libs': _bool,
-        'args': _table({
-            name: _strings for name in _MESON_ARGS_KEYS
-        }),
+        'args': _table(dict.fromkeys(_MESON_ARGS_KEYS, _strings)),
     })
 
     table = pyproject.get('tool', {}).get('meson-python', {})
diff --git a/mesonpy/_compat.py b/mesonpy/_compat.py
index 2b3d3431..8d22c166 100644
--- a/mesonpy/_compat.py
+++ b/mesonpy/_compat.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import functools
 import importlib.resources
 import os
 import sys
@@ -19,12 +18,6 @@
     from typing import Collection, Iterable, Iterator, Mapping, Sequence
 
 
-if sys.version_info >= (3, 8):
-    from functools import cached_property
-else:
-    cached_property = lambda x: property(functools.lru_cache(maxsize=None)(x))  # noqa: E731
-
-
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 9):
     def read_binary(package: str, resource: str) -> bytes:
         return importlib.resources.files(package).joinpath(resource).read_bytes()
@@ -49,7 +42,6 @@ def read_binary(package: str, resource: str) -> bytes:
 
 
 __all__ = [
-    'cached_property',
     'read_binary',
     'Collection',
     'Iterable',
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 16deff42..da9caf8e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ name = 'meson-python'
 version = '0.19.0.dev0'
 description = 'Meson Python build backend (PEP 517)'
 readme = 'README.rst'
-requires-python = '>= 3.8'
+requires-python = '>= 3.9'
 license = 'MIT'
 license-files = ['LICENSES/MIT.txt']
 keywords = ['meson', 'build', 'backend', 'pep517', 'package']
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ classifiers = [
   'Programming Language :: Python',
   'Topic :: Software Development :: Build Tools',
 ]
-
 dependencies = [
   'meson >= 0.64.0; python_version < "3.12"',
   'meson >= 1.2.3; python_version >= "3.12"',
@@ -43,7 +42,13 @@ dependencies = [
   'tomli >= 1.0.0; python_version < "3.11"',
 ]
 
-[project.optional-dependencies]
+[project.urls]
+homepage = 'https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python'
+repository = 'https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python'
+documentation = 'https://mesonbuild.com/meson-python/'
+changelog = 'https://mesonbuild.com/meson-python/changelog.html'
+
+[dependency-groups]
 test = [
   'build',
   'pytest >= 6.0',
@@ -61,12 +66,6 @@ docs = [
   'sphinxext-opengraph >= 0.7.0',
 ]
 
-[project.urls]
-homepage = 'https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python'
-repository = 'https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python'
-documentation = 'https://mesonbuild.com/meson-python/'
-changelog = 'https://mesonbuild.com/meson-python/changelog.html'
-
 
 [tool.mypy]
 show_error_codes = true
diff --git a/tests/test_sdist.py b/tests/test_sdist.py
index bc598d91..2c519895 100644
--- a/tests/test_sdist.py
+++ b/tests/test_sdist.py
@@ -217,6 +217,9 @@ def test_reproducible(package_pure, tmp_path):
     assert sdist_path_a == sdist_path_b
     assert tmp_path.joinpath('a', sdist_path_a).read_bytes() == tmp_path.joinpath('b', sdist_path_b).read_bytes()
 
+# ``meson dist`` does not handle tarballs containing symbolic links to absolute
+# paths on Python 3.14, see https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/15142
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.version_info >= (3, 14), reason='incompatible Python version')
 @pytest.mark.filterwarnings('ignore:symbolic link')
 def test_symlinks(tmp_path, sdist_symlinks):
     with tarfile.open(sdist_symlinks, 'r:gz') as sdist: