diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint-and-test.yml b/.github/workflows/lint-and-test.yml
index 3ab1761508..d4799c4def 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint-and-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint-and-test.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ concurrency:
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
+env:
+  LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION: 3.8
+
 jobs:
   mypy:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -26,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Install with type-checking tools, stubs & minimal test libraries
@@ -43,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Install with linting tools
@@ -60,7 +63,7 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Install with linting tools & minimal test libraries
@@ -78,7 +81,7 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Install with linting tools
@@ -95,7 +98,7 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Install with linting tools
@@ -112,7 +115,7 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Minimal install
@@ -129,7 +132,7 @@ jobs:
           persist-credentials: false
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Minimal install
@@ -154,7 +157,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Install with gitlint
@@ -215,7 +218,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
         with:
-          python-version: 3.7
+          python-version: ${{ env.LINTING_PYTHON_VERSION }}
           cache: 'pip'
           cache-dependency-path: 'setup.py'
       - name: Run check-branch
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a2920b838d..f01695735c 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ warn_unused_ignores = true
 warn_return_any = false
 no_implicit_reexport = true  # NOTE: Disabled explicitly for tests/ in run-mypy
 strict_equality = true
-strict_concatenate = true
+
+extra_checks = true
 
 enable_error_code = [
     "redundant-expr",
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 1862573293..168f33dd33 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def long_description():
 
 typing_deps = [
     "lxml-stubs",
-    "mypy~=1.3.0",
+    "mypy~=1.8.0",
     "types-beautifulsoup4",
     "types-pygments",
     "types-python-dateutil",
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def long_description():
     extras_require={
         "dev": testing_deps + linting_deps + typing_deps + helper_deps + gitlint_deps,
         "testing": testing_deps,
-        "testing_minimal": testing_minimal_deps,
+        "testing-minimal": testing_minimal_deps,  # extra must be hyphenated
         "linting": linting_deps,
         "gitlint": gitlint_deps,
         "typing": typing_deps,
diff --git a/tools/convert-unicode-emoji-data b/tools/convert-unicode-emoji-data
index 74acc1e685..2e7b307520 100755
--- a/tools/convert-unicode-emoji-data
+++ b/tools/convert-unicode-emoji-data
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from pathlib import Path, PurePath
 
 try:
     # Ignored for type-checking, as it is a temporary file, deleted at the end of file
-    from zulipterminal.unicode_emoji_dict import (  # type: ignore [import]
+    from zulipterminal.unicode_emoji_dict import (  # type: ignore [import-not-found,import-untyped,unused-ignore]
         EMOJI_NAME_MAPS,
     )
 except ModuleNotFoundError:
diff --git a/zulipterminal/cli/run.py b/zulipterminal/cli/run.py
index a3ccd9d18e..46d13e8992 100755
--- a/zulipterminal/cli/run.py
+++ b/zulipterminal/cli/run.py
@@ -513,11 +513,11 @@ def main(options: Optional[List[str]] = None) -> None:
         )
 
         # Validate remaining settings
-        for setting, valid_values in valid_remaining_settings.items():
-            if zterm[setting].value not in valid_values:
+        for setting, valid_remaining_values in valid_remaining_settings.items():
+            if zterm[setting].value not in valid_remaining_values:
                 helper_text = (
                     ["Valid values are:"]
-                    + [f"  {option}" for option in valid_values]
+                    + [f"  {option}" for option in valid_remaining_values]
                     + [f"Specify the {setting} option in zuliprc file."]
                 )
                 exit_with_error(
@@ -563,8 +563,8 @@ def print_setting(setting: str, data: SettingData, suffix: str = "") -> None:
 
         # Translate valid strings for boolean values into True/False
         boolean_settings: Dict[str, bool] = dict()
-        for setting, valid_values in VALID_BOOLEAN_SETTINGS.items():
-            boolean_settings[setting] = zterm[setting].value == valid_values[0]
+        for setting, valid_boolean_values in VALID_BOOLEAN_SETTINGS.items():
+            boolean_settings[setting] = zterm[setting].value == valid_boolean_values[0]
 
         Controller(
             config_file=zuliprc_path,