diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 7ad5041736..dc05291620 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ try-import %workspace%/user.bazelrc
 
 common --noenable_bzlmod
 
-build --incompatible_disallow_empty_glob=1 # Bazel 8 prep
+# Make bazel 8 work for us.
+common --enable_workspace
+build --experimental_cc_static_library
+build --experimental_cc_shared_library
 
 build --java_language_version=17
 build --java_runtime_version=roboriojdk_17
diff --git a/.bazelversion b/.bazelversion
index 643916c03f..2b0aa21219 100644
--- a/.bazelversion
+++ b/.bazelversion
@@ -1 +1 @@
-7.3.1
+8.2.1
diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
index fd05c435f9..7234f80f11 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ b/WORKSPACE
@@ -1,11 +1,41 @@
 load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive", "http_file")
 
+http_archive(
+    name = "rules_cc",
+    sha256 = "712d77868b3152dd618c4d64faaddefcc5965f90f5de6e6dd1d5ddcd0be82d42",
+    strip_prefix = "rules_cc-0.1.1",
+    url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_cc/releases/download/0.1.1/rules_cc-0.1.1.tar.gz",
+)
+
+http_archive(
+    name = "rules_java",
+    sha256 = "d31b6c69e479ffa45460b64dc9c7792a431cac721ef8d5219fc9f603fa2ff877",
+    urls = [
+        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/releases/download/8.11.0/rules_java-8.11.0.tar.gz",
+    ],
+)
+
+load("@rules_java//java:rules_java_deps.bzl", "rules_java_dependencies")
+
+rules_java_dependencies()
+
+# note that the following line is what is minimally required from protobuf for the java rules
+# consider using the protobuf_deps() public API from @com_google_protobuf//:protobuf_deps.bzl
+load("@com_google_protobuf//bazel/private:proto_bazel_features.bzl", "proto_bazel_features")  # buildifier: disable=bzl-visibility
+
+proto_bazel_features(name = "proto_bazel_features")
+
+# register toolchains
+load("@rules_java//java:repositories.bzl", "rules_java_toolchains")
+
+rules_java_toolchains()
+
 # Rules Python
 http_archive(
     name = "rules_python",
-    sha256 = "c68bdc4fbec25de5b5493b8819cfc877c4ea299c0dcb15c244c5a00208cde311",
-    strip_prefix = "rules_python-0.31.0",
-    url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_python/releases/download/0.31.0/rules_python-0.31.0.tar.gz",
+    sha256 = "9f9f3b300a9264e4c77999312ce663be5dee9a56e361a1f6fe7ec60e1beef9a3",
+    strip_prefix = "rules_python-1.4.1",
+    url = "https://github.com/bazel-contrib/rules_python/releases/download/1.4.1/rules_python-1.4.1.tar.gz",
 )
 
 load("@rules_python//python:repositories.bzl", "py_repositories", "python_register_toolchains")
@@ -142,10 +172,12 @@ http_archive(
     url = "https://github.com/aspect-build/bazel-lib/releases/download/v2.7.2/bazel-lib-v2.7.2.tar.gz",
 )
 
-load("@aspect_bazel_lib//lib:repositories.bzl", "aspect_bazel_lib_dependencies")
+load("@aspect_bazel_lib//lib:repositories.bzl", "aspect_bazel_lib_dependencies", "aspect_bazel_lib_register_toolchains")
 
 aspect_bazel_lib_dependencies()
 
+aspect_bazel_lib_register_toolchains()
+
 # Download toolchains
 http_archive(
     name = "rules_bzlmodrio_toolchains",