diff --git a/.github/workflows/continuous-integration.yaml b/.github/workflows/continuous-integration.yaml
index c230671d0..7829b6f1f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/continuous-integration.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/continuous-integration.yaml
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         operating-system: [ ubuntu-latest ]
-        php-version: [ '7.2', '7.3', '7.4', '8.0', '8.1' ]
+        php-version: [ '7.4', '8.0', '8.1' ]
         include:
-          - php-version: '7.2'
+          - php-version: '8.1'
             coverage: true
 
     steps:
diff --git a/common/cache/class.SingletonCache.php b/common/cache/class.SingletonCache.php
index 0a1dd76fd..ce33c2ad5 100755
--- a/common/cache/class.SingletonCache.php
+++ b/common/cache/class.SingletonCache.php
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ public static function singleton()
     {
         $returnValue = null;
 
-        
+
         $cacheName = get_called_class();
         if (!isset(self::$instances[$cacheName])) {
             self::$instances[$cacheName] = new $cacheName();
         }
-        
+
         $returnValue = self::$instances[$cacheName];
-        
+
 
         return $returnValue;
     }
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public static function getCached($function)
     {
         $returnValue = null;
 
-        
+
         $args = func_get_args();
         array_shift($args);
         if (!is_string($function)) {
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@ public static function getCached($function)
         if (static::singleton()->has($serial)) {
             $returnValue = static::singleton()->has($serial);
         } else {
-            $returnValue = call_user_func_array($fn, $args);
+            $returnValue = call_user_func_array($function, $args);
             static::singleton()->put($serial, $returnValue);
         }
-        
+
 
         return $returnValue;
     }
diff --git a/common/oatbox/log/VerboseLogger.php b/common/oatbox/log/VerboseLogger.php
index 16120b0ef..55b820d05 100644
--- a/common/oatbox/log/VerboseLogger.php
+++ b/common/oatbox/log/VerboseLogger.php
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class VerboseLogger extends AbstractLogger
      */
     public function __construct($minimumLevel)
     {
-        if (! in_array($minimumLevel, array_keys($this->levels))) {
+        if (!in_array($minimumLevel, $this->levels, true)) {
             throw new \common_Exception('Level "' . $minimumLevel . '" is not managed by verbose logger');
         }
         $this->levelPosition = array_search($minimumLevel, $this->levels);
diff --git a/common/persistence/class.PhpFileDriver.php b/common/persistence/class.PhpFileDriver.php
index 9ad0b1da0..af4e7b12d 100755
--- a/common/persistence/class.PhpFileDriver.php
+++ b/common/persistence/class.PhpFileDriver.php
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class common_persistence_PhpFileDriver implements common_persistence_KvDriver, c
      * @var string
      */
     private $directory;
-    
+
     /**
      * Nr of subfolder levels in order to prevent filesystem bottlenecks
      * Only used in non human readable mode
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class common_persistence_PhpFileDriver implements common_persistence_KvDriver, c
      * @var int
      */
     private $levels;
-    
+
     /**
      * Whenever or not the filenames should be human readable
      * FALSE by default for performance issues with many keys
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class common_persistence_PhpFileDriver implements common_persistence_KvDriver, c
      * @var int
      */
     const DEFAULT_LEVELS = 3;
-    
+
     const DEFAULT_MASK = 0700;
 
     /**
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public function connect($id, array $params)
 
         return new common_persistence_KeyValuePersistence($params, $this);
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * (non-PHPdoc)
      * @see common_persistence_KvDriver::set()
@@ -239,7 +239,13 @@ public function get($id)
      */
     private function readFile($id)
     {
-        return @include $this->getPath($id);
+        $path = $this->getPath($id);
+
+        if (is_readable($path)) {
+            return @include $path;
+        }
+
+        return false;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -264,7 +270,7 @@ public function exists($id)
             return $this->get($id) !== false;
         }
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * (non-PHPdoc)
      * @see common_persistence_KvDriver::del()
@@ -386,7 +392,7 @@ protected function getPath($key)
         }
         return  $this->directory . $path . '.php';
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Cannot use helpers_File::sanitizeInjectively() because
      * of backwards compatibility
@@ -402,7 +408,7 @@ protected function sanitizeReadableFileName($key)
         }
         return $path;
     }
-    
+
     /**
      * Generate the php code that returns the provided value
      *
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index a1c014dc0..79cafb7c4 100755
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -54,11 +54,10 @@
     "tao-extension-name": "generis"
   },
   "require": {
-    "php": "^7.1",
     "clearfw/clearfw": "~1.2.0",
     "easyrdf/easyrdf": "^1.1",
-    "doctrine/dbal": "^2.10.1",
-    "doctrine/annotations": "^1.6.0",
+    "doctrine/dbal": "^2.12",
+    "doctrine/annotations": "^1.13",
     "laminas/laminas-servicemanager": "~2.5.0",
     "league/flysystem": "~1.0",
     "league/flysystem-memory": "~1.0",
@@ -80,7 +79,7 @@
     "ext-pdo": "*"
   },
   "require-dev": {
-    "mikey179/vfsstream": "1.4.0",
+    "mikey179/vfsstream": "~1",
     "phpunit/phpunit": "^8.5",
     "php-mock/php-mock": "^2.0"
   },
diff --git a/test/integration/mutex/test_action.php b/test/integration/mutex/test_action.php
index cef85c12c..fc8c06439 100644
--- a/test/integration/mutex/test_action.php
+++ b/test/integration/mutex/test_action.php
@@ -10,17 +10,14 @@
 $sleep = (int) $argv[1];
 $timeout = (int) $argv[2];
 
-$service = getInstance();
+$service = getLockServiceInstance();
 $factory = $service->getLockFactory();
 $lock = $factory->createLock($actionId, $timeout);
 $lock->acquire(true);
 sleep($sleep);
 $lock->release();
 
-/**
- * @return LockService
- */
-function getInstance()
+function getLockServiceInstance(): LockService
 {
     return ServiceManager::getServiceManager()->get(LockService::class);
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/ConfigurationTest.php b/test/unit/ConfigurationTest.php
index 9b450b46b..6f8efa6d8 100755
--- a/test/unit/ConfigurationTest.php
+++ b/test/unit/ConfigurationTest.php
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ function testPHPRuntime()
         $this->assertTrue($php->isOptional());
 
         // max & min test.
-        $php = new \common_configuration_PHPRuntime('5.3', '7.4.x');
+        $php = new \common_configuration_PHPRuntime('7.4', '8.1.x');
         $report = $php->check();
 
         $this->assertEquals($report->getStatus(), \common_configuration_Report::VALID);
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ function testPHPExtension()
         $report = $ext->check();
         $this->assertEquals($report->getStatus(), \common_configuration_Report::VALID);
 
-        $ext->setMax('7.5');
+        $ext->setMax('8.2');
         $report = $ext->check();
         $this->assertEquals($report->getStatus(), \common_configuration_Report::VALID);
 
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ public function testSimpleComponentCollection()
 
     public function testComponentFactory()
     {
-        $component = \common_configuration_ComponentFactory::buildPHPRuntime('5.0', '7.4.x', true);
+        $component = \common_configuration_ComponentFactory::buildPHPRuntime('5.0', '8.1.x', true);
         $this->assertInstanceOf(\common_configuration_PHPRuntime::class, $component);
         $this->assertEquals($component->getMin(), '5.0');
         // 5.5.x will be replaced internally
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ public function testComponentFactory()
         $this->assertInstanceOf(\common_configuration_Report::class, $report);
         $this->assertEquals($report->getStatus(), \common_configuration_Report::VALID);
 
-        $array = ['type' => 'PHPRuntime', 'value' => ['min' => '5.0', 'max' => '7.4.x', 'optional' => true]];
+        $array = ['type' => 'PHPRuntime', 'value' => ['min' => '5.0', 'max' => '8.1.x', 'optional' => true]];
         $component = \common_configuration_ComponentFactory::buildFromArray($array);
         $this->assertInstanceOf(\common_configuration_PHPRuntime::class, $component);
         $this->assertEquals($component->getMin(), '5.0');
diff --git a/test/unit/common/configuration/ComponentFactoryTest.php b/test/unit/common/configuration/ComponentFactoryTest.php
index b4fa541d1..f30f5779b 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/configuration/ComponentFactoryTest.php
+++ b/test/unit/common/configuration/ComponentFactoryTest.php
@@ -98,11 +98,11 @@ public function testBuildFileSystemComponent()
         $this->assertTrue($output->isOptional());
         $this->assertTrue($output->getRecursive());
         $this->assertTrue($output->getMustCheckIfEmpty());
-        $this->assertEquals('FileSystemComponentCheck_3', $output->getName());
+        $this->assertStringStartsWith('FileSystemComponentCheck_', $output->getName());
 
         $output2 = $this->subject->buildFileSystemComponent('/path2', 'rw');
 
-        $this->assertEquals('FileSystemComponentCheck_4', $output2->getName());
+        $this->assertStringStartsWith('FileSystemComponentCheck_', $output2->getName());
     }
 
     public function testBuildCustomFailureOnNonExistingExtension()
diff --git a/test/unit/core/Middleware/MiddlewareRequestHandlerTest.php b/test/unit/core/Middleware/MiddlewareRequestHandlerTest.php
index 1d297326e..735c20dbd 100755
--- a/test/unit/core/Middleware/MiddlewareRequestHandlerTest.php
+++ b/test/unit/core/Middleware/MiddlewareRequestHandlerTest.php
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public function testAssertRoute(string $path, string $httpMethod, array $middlew
         $queue = array_merge(
             array_values($middlewaresMocks),
             [
-                static function ($request, $next): ResponseInterface {
+                function ($request, $next): ResponseInterface {
                     return $this->originalResponse;
                 }
             ]
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ public function testAssertNoRoute(string $path, string $httpMethod): void
     {
         $queue = array_merge(
             [
-                static function ($request, $next): ResponseInterface {
+                function ($request, $next): ResponseInterface {
                     return $this->originalResponse;
                 }
             ]
diff --git a/test/unit/oatbox/mutex/test_action.php b/test/unit/oatbox/mutex/test_action.php
index 7febcb657..86d965342 100644
--- a/test/unit/oatbox/mutex/test_action.php
+++ b/test/unit/oatbox/mutex/test_action.php
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 use oat\oatbox\mutex\NoLockStorage;
 
 // phpcs:disable
-require __DIR__ . '/../../../../../vendor/autoload.php';
+require __DIR__ . '/../../../bootstrap.php';
 
 function getInstance($class, $dir): LockService
 {