diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 26a0600a44ed..5946cd225c53 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 common --enable_platform_specific_config
-common --enable_bzlmod
 # because we use --override_module with `%workspace%`, the lock file is not stable
 common --lockfile_mode=off
 
@@ -25,6 +24,5 @@ common --registry=https://bcr.bazel.build
 
 common --@rules_dotnet//dotnet/settings:strict_deps=false
 common --experimental_isolated_extension_usages
-common --incompatible_use_plus_in_repo_names
 
 try-import %workspace%/local.bazelrc
diff --git a/.bazelversion b/.bazelversion
index b9ad1fa3a7ff..5ce91d4d61c9 100644
--- a/.bazelversion
+++ b/.bazelversion
@@ -1 +1 @@
-5f5d70b6c4d2fb1a889479569107f1692239e8a7
+8.0.0rc1
diff --git a/CODEOWNERS b/CODEOWNERS
index 992acbda4ff1..6e1c975ace7d 100644
--- a/CODEOWNERS
+++ b/CODEOWNERS
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 /ql/ @github/codeql-ql-for-ql-reviewers
 
 # Bazel (excluding BUILD.bazel files)
-WORKSPACE.bazel @github/codeql-ci-reviewers
 MODULE.bazel @github/codeql-ci-reviewers
 .bazelversion @github/codeql-ci-reviewers
 .bazelrc @github/codeql-ci-reviewers
diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index d0d9ad4ea230..2e8ed2e3d47a 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -18,14 +18,14 @@ bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_go", version = "0.50.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_pkg", version = "1.0.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_nodejs", version = "6.2.0-codeql.1")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_python", version = "0.35.0")
-bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.6.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_python", version = "0.36.0")
+bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.7.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "abseil-cpp", version = "20240116.0", repo_name = "absl")
 bazel_dep(name = "nlohmann_json", version = "3.11.3", repo_name = "json")
 bazel_dep(name = "fmt", version = "10.0.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_kotlin", version = "2.0.0-codeql.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "gazelle", version = "0.38.0")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_dotnet", version = "0.15.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_dotnet", version = "0.16.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "googletest", version = "1.14.0.bcr.1")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_rust", version = "0.52.2")
 
diff --git a/WORKSPACE.bazel b/WORKSPACE.bazel
deleted file mode 100644
index 3f7ecf167700..000000000000
--- a/WORKSPACE.bazel
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-# please use MODULE.bazel to add dependencies
-# this empty file is required by internal repositories, don't remove it
diff --git a/misc/bazel/semmle_code_stub/WORKSPACE.bazel b/misc/bazel/semmle_code_stub/WORKSPACE.bazel
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d1..000000000000