diff --git a/project_template/barebones/foo.cabal b/project_template/barebones/foo.cabal
--- a/project_template/barebones/foo.cabal
+++ b/project_template/barebones/foo.cabal
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
   main-is: Main.hs
 
   Build-depends:
-    base >= 4 && < 5,
+    base >= 4.3 && < 5,
     bytestring >= 0.9.1 && < 0.10,
     MonadCatchIO-transformers >= 0.2.1 && < 0.3,
     mtl >= 2 && < 3,
diff --git a/project_template/default/foo.cabal b/project_template/default/foo.cabal
--- a/project_template/default/foo.cabal
+++ b/project_template/default/foo.cabal
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
   main-is: Main.hs
 
   Build-depends:
-    base >= 4 && < 5,
+    base >= 4.3 && < 5,
     bytestring >= 0.9.1 && < 0.10,
     heist >= 0.5 && < 0.6,
     MonadCatchIO-transformers >= 0.2.1 && < 0.3,
diff --git a/snap.cabal b/snap.cabal
--- a/snap.cabal
+++ b/snap.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:           snap
-version:        0.5.3
+version:        0.5.3.1
 synopsis:       Snap: A Haskell Web Framework: project starter executable and glue code library
 description:    Snap Framework project starter executable and glue code library
 license:        BSD3
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
       Snap.Extension.Loader.Devel.TreeWatcher
 
   build-depends:
-    base                      >= 4 && < 5,
+    base                      >= 4.3 && < 5,
     blaze-builder             >= 0.2.1.4 && <0.4,
     bytestring                >= 0.9.1 && < 0.10,
     directory                 >= 1.0 && < 1.2,
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
 
   build-depends:
     attoparsec       >= 0.8.0.2 && < 0.10,
-    base             >= 4 && < 5,
+    base             >= 4.3 && < 5,
     bytestring,
     bytestring-nums,
     cereal           >= 0.3 && < 0.4,
diff --git a/test/snap-testsuite.cabal b/test/snap-testsuite.cabal
--- a/test/snap-testsuite.cabal
+++ b/test/snap-testsuite.cabal
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
   build-depends:
     QuickCheck >= 2.3.0.2,
-    base >= 4 && < 5,
+    base >= 4.3 && < 5,
     bytestring == 0.9.*,
     directory,
     filepath,