diff --git a/tests/test_markup.py b/tests/test_markup.py
index 6ec592073e5..56f79750486 100644
--- a/tests/test_markup.py
+++ b/tests/test_markup.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from sphinx import addnodes
 from sphinx.builders.html.transforms import KeyboardTransform
 from sphinx.builders.latex import LaTeXBuilder
+from sphinx.environment import default_settings
 from sphinx.roles import XRefRole
 from sphinx.testing.util import Struct, assert_node
 from sphinx.transforms import SphinxSmartQuotes
@@ -22,13 +23,13 @@
 def settings(app):
     texescape.init()  # otherwise done by the latex builder
     optparser = frontend.OptionParser(
-        components=(RstParser, HTMLWriter, LaTeXWriter))
+        components=(RstParser, HTMLWriter, LaTeXWriter),
+        defaults=default_settings)
     settings = optparser.get_default_values()
     settings.smart_quotes = True
     settings.env = app.builder.env
     settings.env.temp_data['docname'] = 'dummy'
     settings.contentsname = 'dummy'
-    settings.rfc_base_url = 'http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/'
     domain_context = sphinx_domains(settings.env)
     domain_context.enable()
     yield settings
@@ -146,39 +147,37 @@ def get(name):
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('type,rst,html_expected,latex_expected', [
     (
         # pep role
-        'verify_re',
+        'verify',
         ':pep:`8`',
-        # since docutils-0.19, :pep: role points to python.org via https schema
         ('<p><span class="target" id="index-0"></span><a class="pep reference external" '
-         'href="https?://(www.python.org/dev/peps|peps.python.org)/pep-0008"><strong>PEP 8</strong></a></p>'),
-        (r'\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
-         r'\\index{Python Enhancement Proposals@\\spxentry{Python Enhancement Proposals}'
-         r'!PEP 8@\\spxentry{PEP 8}}\\sphinxhref{https?://(www.python.org/dev/peps|peps.python.org)/pep-0008}'
-         r'{\\sphinxstylestrong{PEP 8}}')
+         'href="https://peps.python.org/pep-0008"><strong>PEP 8</strong></a></p>'),
+        ('\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
+         '\\index{Python Enhancement Proposals@\\spxentry{Python Enhancement Proposals}'
+         '!PEP 8@\\spxentry{PEP 8}}\\sphinxhref{https://peps.python.org/pep-0008}'
+         '{\\sphinxstylestrong{PEP 8}}')
     ),
     (
         # pep role with anchor
-        'verify_re',
+        'verify',
         ':pep:`8#id1`',
-        # since docutils-0.19, :pep: role points to python.org via https schema
         ('<p><span class="target" id="index-0"></span><a class="pep reference external" '
-         'href="https?://(www.python.org/dev/peps|peps.python.org)/pep-0008#id1">'
+         'href="https://peps.python.org/pep-0008#id1">'
          '<strong>PEP 8#id1</strong></a></p>'),
-        (r'\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
-         r'\\index{Python Enhancement Proposals@\\spxentry{Python Enhancement Proposals}'
-         r'!PEP 8\\#id1@\\spxentry{PEP 8\\#id1}}\\sphinxhref'
-         r'{https?://(www.python.org/dev/peps|peps.python.org)/pep-0008\\#id1}'
-         r'{\\sphinxstylestrong{PEP 8\\#id1}}')
+        ('\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
+         '\\index{Python Enhancement Proposals@\\spxentry{Python Enhancement Proposals}'
+         '!PEP 8\\#id1@\\spxentry{PEP 8\\#id1}}\\sphinxhref'
+         '{https://peps.python.org/pep-0008\\#id1}'
+         '{\\sphinxstylestrong{PEP 8\\#id1}}')
     ),
     (
         # rfc role
         'verify',
         ':rfc:`2324`',
         ('<p><span class="target" id="index-0"></span><a class="rfc reference external" '
-         'href="http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2324.html"><strong>RFC 2324</strong></a></p>'),
+         'href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2324.html"><strong>RFC 2324</strong></a></p>'),
         ('\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
          '\\index{RFC@\\spxentry{RFC}!RFC 2324@\\spxentry{RFC 2324}}'
-         '\\sphinxhref{http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2324.html}'
+         '\\sphinxhref{https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2324.html}'
          '{\\sphinxstylestrong{RFC 2324}}')
     ),
     (
@@ -186,11 +185,11 @@ def get(name):
         'verify',
         ':rfc:`2324#id1`',
         ('<p><span class="target" id="index-0"></span><a class="rfc reference external" '
-         'href="http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2324.html#id1">'
+         'href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2324.html#id1">'
          '<strong>RFC 2324#id1</strong></a></p>'),
         ('\\sphinxAtStartPar\n'
          '\\index{RFC@\\spxentry{RFC}!RFC 2324\\#id1@\\spxentry{RFC 2324\\#id1}}'
-         '\\sphinxhref{http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2324.html\\#id1}'
+         '\\sphinxhref{https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2324.html\\#id1}'
          '{\\sphinxstylestrong{RFC 2324\\#id1}}')
     ),
     (