diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@
 For user-visible changes, see the hledger package changelog.
 
 
+# 1.52.4 2026-09-10
+
+Improvements
+
+- Allow megaparsec 9.8.1+ (but not 9.8.0, because of [megaparsec#572](https://github.com/mrkkrp/megaparsec/issues/572)).
+
+
 # 1.52.3 2026-08-27
 
 
diff --git a/hledger-lib.cabal b/hledger-lib.cabal
--- a/hledger-lib.cabal
+++ b/hledger-lib.cabal
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           hledger-lib
-version:        1.52.3
+version:        1.52.4
 synopsis:       A library providing the core functionality of hledger
 description:    This library contains hledger's core functionality.
                 It is used by most hledger* packages so that they support the same
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
   hs-source-dirs:
       ./
   ghc-options: -Wall -Wno-incomplete-uni-patterns -Wno-missing-signatures -Wno-orphans -Wno-type-defaults -Wno-unused-do-bind
-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52.3"
+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52.4"
   build-depends:
       Decimal >=0.5.1
     , Glob >=0.9
@@ -152,12 +152,12 @@
     , filepath
     , hashtables >=1.2.3.1 && <1.3 || >=1.4.0
     , lucid
-    , megaparsec >=7.0.0 && <9.8
+    , megaparsec >=7.0.0 && <9.8 || >=9.8.1 && <9.9
     , microlens >=0.4
     , microlens-th >=0.4
     , mtl >=2.2.1
     , parser-combinators >=0.4.0
-    , pretty-simple >4 && <5
+    , pretty-simple ==4.*
     , process
     , regex-tdfa
     , safe >=0.3.20
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@
   hs-source-dirs:
       test
   ghc-options: -Wall -Wno-incomplete-uni-patterns -Wno-missing-signatures -Wno-orphans -Wno-type-defaults -Wno-unused-do-bind
-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52.3"
+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52.4"
   build-depends:
       Decimal >=0.5.1
     , Glob >=0.7
@@ -213,12 +213,12 @@
     , filepath
     , hashtables >=1.2.3.1 && <1.3 || >=1.4.0
     , lucid
-    , megaparsec >=7.0.0 && <9.8
+    , megaparsec >=7.0.0 && <9.8 || >=9.8.1 && <9.9
     , microlens >=0.4
     , microlens-th >=0.4
     , mtl >=2.2.1
     , parser-combinators >=0.4.0
-    , pretty-simple >4 && <5
+    , pretty-simple ==4.*
     , process
     , regex-tdfa
     , safe >=0.3.20
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@
   hs-source-dirs:
       test
   ghc-options: -Wall -Wno-incomplete-uni-patterns -Wno-missing-signatures -Wno-orphans -Wno-type-defaults -Wno-unused-do-bind
-  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52.3"
+  cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.52.4"
   build-depends:
       Decimal >=0.5.1
     , Glob >=0.9
@@ -274,12 +274,12 @@
     , hashtables >=1.2.3.1 && <1.3 || >=1.4.0
     , hledger-lib
     , lucid
-    , megaparsec >=7.0.0 && <9.8
+    , megaparsec >=7.0.0 && <9.8 || >=9.8.1 && <9.9
     , microlens >=0.4
     , microlens-th >=0.4
     , mtl >=2.2.1
     , parser-combinators >=0.4.0
-    , pretty-simple >4 && <5
+    , pretty-simple ==4.*
     , process
     , regex-tdfa
     , safe >=0.3.20