diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 6a77b87c..021eca92 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ on:
       - '*'
 
 jobs:
+  ruby_versions:
+    outputs:
+      setup_ruby: "['3.1', '3.2', '3.3', 'head']"
+      image_tag: "['3.1', '3.2', '3.3', '3.4-rc']"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "generating rubies ..."
+
   #
   #  basic tests
   #
@@ -45,12 +53,12 @@ jobs:
       - run: bundle exec rake test
 
   test:
-    needs: basic
+    needs: [basic, ruby_versions]
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu, macos, windows]
-        ruby: ["3.3", "3.2", "3.1"]
+        ruby: ${{ fromJSON(needs.ruby_versions.outputs.setup_ruby) }}
         syslib: [enable, disable]
         include:
           # additional compilation flags for homebrew
@@ -117,12 +125,12 @@ jobs:
             bundle exec rake test
 
   sqlcipher:
-    needs: basic
+    needs: [basic, ruby_versions]
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu, macos, windows]
-        ruby: ["3.3", "3.1"] # oldest and newest
+        ruby: ${{ fromJSON(needs.ruby_versions.outputs.setup_ruby) }}
         include:
           - { os: windows, ruby: mingw }
           - { os: windows, ruby: mswin }
@@ -207,13 +215,13 @@ jobs:
           retention-days: 1
 
   install_source_linux:
-    needs: build_source_gem
+    needs: [build_source_gem, ruby_versions]
     name: "test source"
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu, macos, windows]
-        ruby: ["3.3", "3.2", "3.1"]
+        ruby: ${{ fromJSON(needs.ruby_versions.outputs.setup_ruby) }}
         syslib: [enable, disable]
         include:
           # additional compilation flags for homebrew
@@ -270,7 +278,7 @@ jobs:
 
   test_architecture_matrix:
     name: "${{ matrix.platform }} ${{ matrix.ruby }}"
-    needs: build_native_gem
+    needs: [build_native_gem, ruby_versions]
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -283,7 +291,7 @@ jobs:
           - x86-linux-musl
           - x86_64-linux-gnu
           - x86_64-linux-musl
-        ruby: ["3.3", "3.2", "3.1"]
+        ruby: ${{ fromJSON(needs.ruby_versions.outputs.image_tag) }}
         include:
           # declare docker image for each platform
           - { platform: aarch64-linux-musl, docker_tag: "-alpine", bootstrap: "apk add build-base &&" }
@@ -315,25 +323,18 @@ jobs:
 
   test_the_rest:
     name: "${{ matrix.platform }} ${{ matrix.ruby }}"
-    needs: build_native_gem
+    needs: [build_native_gem, ruby_versions]
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: [windows-latest, macos-13, macos-14]
-        ruby: ["3.3", "3.2", "3.1"]
+        ruby: ${{ fromJSON(needs.ruby_versions.outputs.setup_ruby) }}
         include:
           - os: macos-13
             platform: x86_64-darwin
           - os: macos-14
             platform: arm64-darwin
           - os: windows-latest
-            ruby: "3.1"
-            platform: x64-mingw-ucrt
-          - os: windows-latest
-            ruby: "3.2"
-            platform: x64-mingw-ucrt
-          - os: windows-latest
-            ruby: "3.3"
             platform: x64-mingw-ucrt
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
@@ -360,6 +361,7 @@ jobs:
           - { ruby: "3.2", flavor: "alpine3.19" }
           - { ruby: "3.3", flavor: "alpine3.18" }
           - { ruby: "3.3", flavor: "alpine3.19" }
+          - { ruby: "3.4-rc", flavor: "alpine" }
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     container:
       image: ruby:${{matrix.ruby}}-${{matrix.flavor}}
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index c92effff..9a31a000 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ group :development do
   gem "minitest", "5.25.4"
 
   gem "rake-compiler", "1.2.8"
-  gem "rake-compiler-dock", "1.5.2"
+  gem "rake-compiler-dock", "1.7.0.rc1"
 
   gem "ruby_memcheck", "3.0.0" if Gem::Platform.local.os == "linux"
 
diff --git a/bin/test-gem-file-contents b/bin/test-gem-file-contents
index 8ae6bea7..52a201fd 100755
--- a/bin/test-gem-file-contents
+++ b/bin/test-gem-file-contents
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ Minitest::Reporters.use!([Minitest::Reporters::SpecReporter.new])
 
 puts "Testing '#{gemfile}' (#{gemspec.platform})"
 describe File.basename(gemfile) do
-  let(:supported_ruby_versions) { ["3.1", "3.2", "3.3"] }
+  let(:supported_ruby_versions) { ["3.1", "3.2", "3.3", "3.4"] }
 
   describe "setup" do
     it "gemfile contains some files" do
diff --git a/rakelib/native.rake b/rakelib/native.rake
index 4d29758e..1895b8d0 100644
--- a/rakelib/native.rake
+++ b/rakelib/native.rake
@@ -6,19 +6,19 @@ require "rake/extensiontask"
 require "rake_compiler_dock"
 require "yaml"
 
-cross_rubies = ["3.3.0", "3.2.0", "3.1.0"]
+cross_rubies = ["3.4.0", "3.3.5", "3.2.0", "3.1.0"]
 cross_platforms = [
   "aarch64-linux-gnu",
   "aarch64-linux-musl",
   "arm-linux-gnu",
   "arm-linux-musl",
-  "arm64-darwin",
-  "x64-mingw-ucrt",
   "x86-linux-gnu",
   "x86-linux-musl",
-  "x86_64-darwin",
   "x86_64-linux-gnu",
-  "x86_64-linux-musl"
+  "x86_64-linux-musl",
+  "arm64-darwin",
+  "x86_64-darwin",
+  "x64-mingw-ucrt"
 ]
 ENV["RUBY_CC_VERSION"] = cross_rubies.join(":")