diff --git a/hspec-core.cabal b/hspec-core.cabal
--- a/hspec-core.cabal
+++ b/hspec-core.cabal
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:             hspec-core
-version:          2.11.8
+version:          2.11.9
 license:          MIT
 license-file:     LICENSE
 copyright:        (c) 2011-2024 Simon Hengel,
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
     , QuickCheck >=2.13.1 && <2.16
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2
     , array
-    , base >=4.8.2.0 && <5
+    , base >=4.9.0.0 && <5
     , call-stack >=0.2.0
     , deepseq
     , directory
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
     , QuickCheck >=2.14
     , ansi-terminal >=0.6.2
     , array
-    , base >=4.8.2.0 && <5
+    , base >=4.9.0.0 && <5
     , base-orphans
     , call-stack >=0.2.0
     , deepseq
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@
     , filepath
     , haskell-lexer
     , hspec-expectations ==0.8.4.*
-    , hspec-meta ==2.11.8
+    , hspec-meta ==2.11.9
     , process
     , quickcheck-io >=0.2.0
     , random
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Compat.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Compat.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Compat.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Compat.hs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   )
 import           Data.Maybe as Imports
 import           Data.Foldable as Imports
-import           Data.CallStack as Imports (HasCallStack)
+import           GHC.Stack as Imports (HasCallStack, withFrozenCallStack)
 
 import           System.IO
 import           System.Exit
@@ -74,76 +74,14 @@
 import           Data.Char
 #endif
 
-#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,6,0)
 import           Text.Read as Imports (readMaybe)
 import           System.Environment as Imports (lookupEnv)
-#else
-import           Text.Read
-import qualified Text.ParserCombinators.ReadP as P
-#endif
 
-#if !MIN_VERSION_base(4,8,0)
-import           Data.Ord (comparing)
-#endif
 
-#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,7,0)
 import           Data.Bool as Imports (bool)
-#endif
 
 import           Control.Concurrent
 
-#if !MIN_VERSION_base(4,9,0)
-import           GHC.IO
-#endif
-
-#if !MIN_VERSION_base(4,6,0)
-forkFinally :: IO a -> (Either SomeException a -> IO ()) -> IO ThreadId
-forkFinally action and_then =
-  mask $ \restore ->
-    forkIO $ try (restore action) >>= and_then
-
--- |Strict version of 'modifyIORef'
-modifyIORef' :: IORef a -> (a -> a) -> IO ()
-modifyIORef' ref f = do
-    x <- readIORef ref
-    let x' = f x
-    x' `seq` writeIORef ref x'
-
-atomicWriteIORef :: IORef a -> a -> IO ()
-atomicWriteIORef ref a = do
-    x <- atomicModifyIORef ref (\_ -> (a, ()))
-    x `seq` pass
-
--- | Parse a string using the 'Read' instance.
--- Succeeds if there is exactly one valid result.
--- A 'Left' value indicates a parse error.
-readEither :: Read a => String -> Either String a
-readEither s =
-  case [ x | (x,"") <- readPrec_to_S read' minPrec s ] of
-    [x] -> Right x
-    []  -> Left "Prelude.read: no parse"
-    _   -> Left "Prelude.read: ambiguous parse"
- where
-  read' =
-    do x <- readPrec
-       lift P.skipSpaces
-       return x
-
--- | Parse a string using the 'Read' instance.
--- Succeeds if there is exactly one valid result.
-readMaybe :: Read a => String -> Maybe a
-readMaybe s = case readEither s of
-                Left _  -> Nothing
-                Right a -> Just a
-
--- | Return the value of the environment variable @var@, or @Nothing@ if
--- there is no such value.
---
--- For POSIX users, this is equivalent to 'System.Posix.Env.getEnv'.
-lookupEnv :: String -> IO (Maybe String)
-lookupEnv k = lookup k `fmap` getEnvironment
-#endif
-
 showType :: Typeable a => a -> String
 showType a = let t = typeRepTyCon (typeOf a) in
   show t
@@ -154,16 +92,6 @@
 
 getDefaultConcurrentJobs :: IO Int
 getDefaultConcurrentJobs = getNumCapabilities
-
-#if !MIN_VERSION_base(4,9,0)
-interruptible :: IO a -> IO a
-interruptible act = do
-  st <- getMaskingState
-  case st of
-    Unmasked              -> act
-    MaskedInterruptible   -> unsafeUnmask act
-    MaskedUninterruptible -> act
-#endif
 
 guarded :: Alternative m => (a -> Bool) -> a -> m a
 guarded p a = if p a then pure a else empty
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Example.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Example.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Example.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Example.hs
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
   Failure _ m -> m `deepseq` r
 
 safeEvaluateExample :: Example e => e -> Params -> (ActionWith (Arg e) -> IO ()) -> ProgressCallback -> IO Result
-safeEvaluateExample example params around progress = safeEvaluate $ evaluateExample example params around progress
+safeEvaluateExample example params around = safeEvaluate . evaluateExample example params around
 
 safeEvaluate :: IO Result -> IO Result
 safeEvaluate action = do
@@ -180,4 +180,4 @@
 
 instance Example (a -> Expectation) where
   type Arg (a -> Expectation) = a
-  evaluateExample e _ hook _ = hook e >> return (Result "" Success)
+  evaluateExample e _params hook _ = hook e >> return (Result "" Success)
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Example/Location.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Example/Location.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Example/Location.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Example/Location.hs
@@ -54,12 +54,8 @@
 
 locationFromErrorCall :: SomeException -> Maybe Location
 locationFromErrorCall e = case fromException e of
-#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,9,0)
   Just (ErrorCallWithLocation err loc) ->
     parseCallStack loc <|>
-#else
-  Just (ErrorCall err) ->
-#endif
     fromPatternMatchFailureInDoExpression err
   Nothing -> Nothing
 
diff --git a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Tree.hs b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Tree.hs
--- a/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Tree.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Hspec/Core/Tree.hs
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
   -- parallel with other spec items
 , itemIsParallelizable :: Maybe Bool
 
-  -- | A flag that indicates whether this spec item is focused.
+  -- | A flag that indicates whether this spec item is focused
 , itemIsFocused :: Bool
 
   -- | Example for behavior
diff --git a/test/Test/Hspec/Core/Example/LocationSpec.hs b/test/Test/Hspec/Core/Example/LocationSpec.hs
--- a/test/Test/Hspec/Core/Example/LocationSpec.hs
+++ b/test/Test/Hspec/Core/Example/LocationSpec.hs
@@ -57,11 +57,7 @@
       it "extracts Location" $ do
         let
           location =
-#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,9,0)
-            Just $ Location file (__LINE__ + 4) 34
-#else
-            Nothing
-#endif
+            Just $ Location file (succ __LINE__) 34
         Left e <- try (evaluate (undefined :: ()))
         extractLocation e `shouldBe` location
 
diff --git a/test/Test/Hspec/Core/RunnerSpec.hs b/test/Test/Hspec/Core/RunnerSpec.hs
--- a/test/Test/Hspec/Core/RunnerSpec.hs
+++ b/test/Test/Hspec/Core/RunnerSpec.hs
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@
           ]
 
     context "when formatting exceptions" $ do
-      let spec_ = H.it "foo" $ void (throwIO MyException)
+      let spec_ = H.it "foo" $ void (withFrozenCallStack throwIO MyException)
       context "with --show-exceptions" $ do
         it "uses `show`" $ do
           hspecCapture ["--seed=0", "--format=failed-examples", "--display-exceptions", "--show-exceptions"] spec_
@@ -596,6 +596,10 @@
             , "  1) foo"
             , "       uncaught exception: MyException"
             , "       my exception"
+#if MIN_VERSION_base(4,20,0)
+            , "       HasCallStack backtrace:"
+            , "       "
+#endif
             , ""
             , "  To rerun use: --match \"/foo/\" --seed 0"
             , ""
diff --git a/version.yaml b/version.yaml
--- a/version.yaml
+++ b/version.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-version: &version 2.11.8
+version: &version 2.11.9
 synopsis: A Testing Framework for Haskell
 author: Simon Hengel <sol@typeful.net>
 maintainer: Simon Hengel <sol@typeful.net>