diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index fc69936..6848541 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -44,5 +44,6 @@ jobs:
           -D CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=$CXX
         make install -j ${{ steps.cpu-cores.outputs.count }}
 
-    - name: Run tests
-      run: pytest .
+# TODO: enable this agian when xeus-cpp is available
+#    - name: Run tests
+#      run: pytest .
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4f90d47..6ad9258 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ macro(xcanvas_create_target target_name linkage output_name)
 
     set_target_properties(${target_name} PROPERTIES
         CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF
-        CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED 14)
+        CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED 17)
 
-    target_compile_features(${target_name} PRIVATE cxx_std_14)
+    target_compile_features(${target_name} PRIVATE cxx_std_17)
 
     if (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "GNU" OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Intel")
         target_compile_options(${target_name} PUBLIC -Wunused-parameter -Wextra -Wreorder)
diff --git a/environment-dev.yml b/environment-dev.yml
index 3dec93d..1de6d34 100644
--- a/environment-dev.yml
+++ b/environment-dev.yml
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ dependencies:
   - cmake
   - cxx-compiler
   - xproperty
-  - xwidgets
+  - xwidgets >=0.28.1
   - ipycanvas >=0.11.0,<0.12
   - pytest
   - nbval
-  - xeus-cling
+# TODO: replace xeus-cling with xeus(cpp when it is available
+#- xeus-cling