diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 140d38715..b0e64f9d9 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# bazel < 7 needs explicit enabling of bzlmod dependencies.
+build --enable_bzlmod
+
 # Enable support for absl types like string_view in gtest.
 build --define="absl=1"
 
@@ -26,6 +29,17 @@ common:macos --features=-supports_dynamic_linker --linkopt=-framework --linkopt=
 # Since we use designated initializers (C99 ... but >= c++20), compiler really wants the c++20 mode
 common:windows --compiler=clang-cl --cxxopt=/std:c++20 --host_cxxopt=/std:c++20 --client_env=BAZEL_CXXOPTS=/std:c++20
 
+build --cxxopt="-Wno-unknown-warning-option" --host_cxxopt="-Wno-unknown-warning-option"
+# TODO: this looks like benign where it happens but to be explored further
+build --cxxopt="-Wno-dangling-reference" --host_cxxopt="-Wno-dangling-reference"
+# Newer bisons create an unused label.
+build --cxxopt="-Wno-unused-label" --host_cxxopt="-Wno-unused-label"
+
+# For 3rd party code: Disable warnings entirely.
+# They are not actionable and just create noise.
+build --per_file_copt=external/.*@-w
+build --host_per_file_copt=external/.*@-w
+
 # Address sanitizer settings.
 build:asan --strip=never
 build:asan --copt -fsanitize=address
diff --git a/.github/bin/run-clang-format.sh b/.github/bin/run-clang-format.sh
index 5d1f26225..6d45297a3 100755
--- a/.github/bin/run-clang-format.sh
+++ b/.github/bin/run-clang-format.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ find . -name "*.h" -o -name "*.cc" \
 # If we have buildifier installed, use that on BUILD files
 if command -v ${BUILDIFIER} >/dev/null; then
   echo "Run $(buildifier --version)"
-  ${BUILDIFIER} -lint=fix WORKSPACE MODULE.bazel $(find . -name BUILD -o -name "*.bzl")
+  ${BUILDIFIER} -lint=fix MODULE.bazel $(find . -name BUILD -o -name "*.bzl")
 fi
 
 # Check if we got any diff
diff --git a/.github/settings.sh b/.github/settings.sh
index 80cb80c99..4601e2393 100644
--- a/.github/settings.sh
+++ b/.github/settings.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export BAZEL_CXXOPTS="-std=c++17"
 export BAZEL_OPTS="-c opt --noshow_progress"
 
 # Used to fetch the BAZEL version where needed.
-export BAZEL_VERSION=5.4.1
+export BAZEL_VERSION=6.5.0
 
 # Kythe version for extracting xRefs
 export KYTHE_VERSION=v0.0.52
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verible-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/verible-ci.yml
index dbfb3cf2a..21ab15034 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verible-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verible-ci.yml
@@ -103,20 +103,20 @@ jobs:
         path: |
           /root/.cache/clang-tidy
           /root/.cache/bazel
-        key: clang-tidy-${{ steps.cache_timestamp.outputs.time }}
-        restore-keys: clang-tidy-
+        key: clang-tidy2-${{ steps.cache_timestamp.outputs.time }}
+        restore-keys: clang-tidy2-
 
     - name: Build Project genrules
       run: |
         # Fetch all dependencies and run genrules for bant to see every file
-        # that makes it into the compile to build comile DB.f
-        bazel fetch ...
+        # that makes it into the compile to build comile DB.
         bazel build \
             //verible/common/analysis:command-file-lexer \
             //verible/verilog/parser:verilog-lex \
             //verible/verilog/parser:verilog-y \
             //verible/verilog/parser:verilog-y-final \
-            //verible/common/analysis:command-file-lexer_test
+            //verible/common/analysis:command-file-lexer_test \
+            //verible/common/lsp:lsp-text-buffer
         bazel build $(bin/bant -q genrule-outputs | awk '{print $2}') \
            $(bin/bant list-targets | grep cc_proto_library | awk '{print $3}')
 
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           # Fetch all dependencies and run genrules for bant to see every file
           # that makes it into the compile. Use bant itself to find genrules.
-          bazel fetch ...
           bazel build $(bin/bant -q genrule-outputs | awk '{print $2}') \
               //verible/common/analysis:command-file-lexer \
               //verible/verilog/parser:verilog-lex \
@@ -195,7 +194,6 @@ jobs:
         - compile-clang
         - compile-static
         - compile-static-clang
-        - coverage
         - clean
         arch:
         - x86_64
@@ -211,8 +209,6 @@ jobs:
             arch: arm64
           - mode: asan-clang
             arch: arm64
-          - mode: coverage
-            arch: arm64
     env:
       MODE: ${{ matrix.mode }}
       ARCH: ${{ matrix.arch }}
@@ -238,8 +234,8 @@ jobs:
       if: matrix.mode != 'clean' && matrix.mode != 'coverage'
       with:
         path: "/root/.cache/bazel"
-        key: bazelcache3_${{ matrix.arch }}_${{ matrix.mode }}_${{ steps.cache_timestamp.outputs.time }}
-        restore-keys: bazelcache3_${{ matrix.arch }}_${{ matrix.mode }}_
+        key: bazelcache_${{ matrix.arch }}_${{ matrix.mode }}_${{ steps.cache_timestamp.outputs.time }}
+        restore-keys: bazelcache_${{ matrix.arch }}_${{ matrix.mode }}_
 
     - name: Install Dependencies
       run: |
@@ -274,15 +270,6 @@ jobs:
     - name: ${{ matrix.mode }} Verible
       run: ./.github/bin/build-and-test.sh
 
-    - name: Upload coverage
-      # will show up under https://app.codecov.io/gh/chipsalliance/verible
-      if: matrix.mode == 'coverage'
-      uses: codecov/codecov-action@v2
-      with:
-        files: bazel-out/_coverage/_coverage_report.dat
-        verbose: true
-      continue-on-error: true
-
     - name: Gather and pack binaries
       if: matrix.mode == 'compile' && matrix.arch == 'x86_64'
       run: |
@@ -397,8 +384,8 @@ jobs:
       with:
         path: |
           /private/var/tmp/_bazel_runner
-        key: bazelcache_macos_${{ steps.cache_timestamp.outputs.time }}
-        restore-keys: bazelcache_macos_
+        key: bazelcache_macos1_${{ steps.cache_timestamp.outputs.time }}
+        restore-keys: bazelcache_macos1_
 
     - name: Tests
       # MacOS has a broken patch utility:
@@ -451,14 +438,14 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/cache@v3
       with:
         path: "c:/users/runneradmin/_bazel_runneradmin"
-        key: bazelcache_windows_${{ steps.cache_timestamp.outputs.time }}
-        restore-keys: bazelcache_windows_
+        key: bazelcache_windows3_${{ steps.cache_timestamp.outputs.time }}
+        restore-keys: bazelcache_windows3_
 
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: |
-        choco install bazel --force --version=6.4.0
+        choco install bazel --force --version=6.5.0
         choco install winflexbison3
-        choco install llvm --allow-downgrade --version=16.0.6
+        choco install llvm --allow-downgrade --version=17.0.6
 
     - name: Debug bazel directory settings
       # We need to explicitly call the bazel binary from choco, otherwise
diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index cf7da38b2..6850ea4f2 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -2,13 +2,14 @@ module(
     name = "verible",
 )
 
-bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.8")
-bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.5.0")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_license", version = "0.0.8")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_proto", version = "6.0.0-rc2")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.0.9")
+bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
+bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.7.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_license", version = "1.0.0")
+bazel_dep(name = "nlohmann_json", version = "3.11.3.bcr.1", repo_name = "jsonhpp")
+bazel_dep(name = "re2", version = "2024-07-02.bcr.1", repo_name = "com_googlesource_code_re2")
+bazel_dep(name = "zlib", version = "1.3.1.bcr.3")
 
-# Register m4 rules and toolchain.
+# Register m4/flex/bison rules and toolchains
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_m4", version = "0.2.3")
 
 m4 = use_extension(
@@ -24,23 +25,6 @@ use_repo(m4, "m4")
 
 register_toolchains("@m4//:toolchain")
 
-# Register bison rules and toolchain.
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_bison", version = "0.3")
-
-bison = use_extension(
-    "@rules_bison//bison/extensions:bison_repository_ext.bzl",
-    "bison_repository_ext",
-)
-bison.repository(
-    name = "bison",
-    extra_copts = ["-O3"],
-    version = "3.3.2",
-)
-use_repo(bison, "bison")
-
-register_toolchains("@bison//:toolchain")
-
-# Register flex rules and toolchain.
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_flex", version = "0.3")
 
 flex = use_extension(
@@ -56,9 +40,25 @@ use_repo(flex, "flex")
 
 register_toolchains("@flex//:toolchain")
 
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_bison", version = "0.3")
+
+bison = use_extension(
+    "@rules_bison//bison/extensions:bison_repository_ext.bzl",
+    "bison_repository_ext",
+)
+bison.repository(
+    name = "bison",
+    extra_copts = ["-O3"],
+    version = "3.3.2",
+)
+use_repo(bison, "bison")
+
+register_toolchains("@bison//:toolchain")
+
 # abseil-cpp and googletest can not be updated beyond the following currently,
 # as newer googletest is not compatible with bazel 6 anymore, and abseil-cpp
-# depends on it :( -- to support all active bazel's, we're stuck till Dec 2025.
+# depends on it :( -- to support all active bazel's, we're stuck till EOL bazel6
+bazel_dep(name = "googletest", version = "1.14.0.bcr.1", repo_name = "com_google_googletest")
 bazel_dep(name = "abseil-cpp", version = "20240116.2", repo_name = "com_google_absl")
 single_version_override(
     module_name = "abseil-cpp",
@@ -67,8 +67,10 @@ single_version_override(
     version = "20240116.2",
 )
 
-bazel_dep(name = "googletest", version = "1.14.0.bcr.1", repo_name = "com_google_googletest")
-bazel_dep(name = "nlohmann_json", version = "3.11.3.bcr.1", repo_name = "jsonhpp")
-bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "26.0", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
-bazel_dep(name = "re2", version = "2023-09-01", repo_name = "com_googlesource_code_re2")
-bazel_dep(name = "zlib", version = "1.3.1")
+# Last protobuf version working with windows without strange linking errors.
+# This also means that we unfortunately can't use the @protobuf//bazel rules
+# but have to use rules_cc and rules_proto.
+# TODO: figure out how we can make proto compile beyond 24.4 on Windows.
+bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "24.4", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.0.9")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_proto", version = "6.0.0-rc2")
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 743236f51..ca9b40e0a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ the nix package manager simply run `nix-shell` to get a build environment.
 
 ```bash
 # Build all tools and libraries
-# bazel 5/6/7
+# bazel 6/7/8
 bazel build -c opt //...
 ```
 
diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
deleted file mode 100644
index 6861e035c..000000000
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,157 +0,0 @@
-workspace(name = "com_google_verible")
-
-load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "rules_license",
-    sha256 = "6157e1e68378532d0241ecd15d3c45f6e5cfd98fc10846045509fb2a7cc9e381",
-    urls = [
-        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_license/releases/download/0.0.4/rules_license-0.0.4.tar.gz",
-        "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/bazelbuild/rules_license/releases/download/0.0.4/rules_license-0.0.4.tar.gz",
-    ],
-)
-
-# Bazel platform rules, needed as dependency to absl.
-http_archive(
-    name = "platforms",
-    sha256 = "8150406605389ececb6da07cbcb509d5637a3ab9a24bc69b1101531367d89d74",
-    urls = [
-        "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/bazelbuild/platforms/releases/download/0.0.8/platforms-0.0.8.tar.gz",
-        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/platforms/releases/download/0.0.8/platforms-0.0.8.tar.gz",
-    ],
-)
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "bazel_skylib",
-    sha256 = "74d544d96f4a5bb630d465ca8bbcfe231e3594e5aae57e1edbf17a6eb3ca2506",
-    urls = [
-        "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/bazelbuild/bazel-skylib/releases/download/1.3.0/bazel-skylib-1.3.0.tar.gz",
-        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel-skylib/releases/download/1.3.0/bazel-skylib-1.3.0.tar.gz",
-    ],
-)
-
-load("@bazel_skylib//:workspace.bzl", "bazel_skylib_workspace")
-
-bazel_skylib_workspace()
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "com_google_absl",
-    # On MSVC's STL implementation, string_view cannot be constructed from
-    # a string_view::iterator. This patch forces the use of absl's string_view
-    # implementation to solve the issue
-    patch_args = ["-p1"],
-    patches = [
-        "//bazel:absl.patch",
-    ],
-    sha256 = "338420448b140f0dfd1a1ea3c3ce71b3bc172071f24f4d9a57d59b45037da440",
-    strip_prefix = "abseil-cpp-20240116.0",
-    urls = ["https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp/archive/refs/tags/20240116.0.tar.gz"],
-)
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "com_googlesource_code_re2",
-    sha256 = "8b4a8175da7205df2ad02e405a950a02eaa3e3e0840947cd598e92dca453199b",
-    strip_prefix = "re2-2023-06-01",
-    urls = ["https://github.com/google/re2/archive/refs/tags/2023-06-01.tar.gz"],
-)
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "com_google_googletest",
-    sha256 = "1f357c27ca988c3f7c6b4bf68a9395005ac6761f034046e9dde0896e3aba00e4",
-    strip_prefix = "googletest-1.14.0",
-    urls = ["https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/refs/tags/v1.14.0.zip"],
-)
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "rules_cc",
-    sha256 = "69fb4b965c538509324960817965791761d57010f42bf12ce9769c4259c7d018",
-    strip_prefix = "rules_cc-e7c97c3af74e279a5db516a19f642e862ff58548",
-    urls = ["https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_cc/archive/e7c97c3af74e279a5db516a19f642e862ff58548.zip"],
-)
-
-#
-# External tools needed
-#
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "rules_m4",
-    sha256 = "10ce41f150ccfbfddc9d2394ee680eb984dc8a3dfea613afd013cfb22ea7445c",
-    urls = ["https://github.com/jmillikin/rules_m4/releases/download/v0.2.3/rules_m4-v0.2.3.tar.xz"],
-)
-
-load("@rules_m4//m4:m4.bzl", "m4_register_toolchains")
-
-m4_register_toolchains(version = "1.4.18")
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "rules_flex",
-    sha256 = "99393873d4a1bce44853f1cf0c48a34640583cee3d06f2d3d439e12fb1529036",
-    # flex 2.6.4
-    urls = ["https://github.com/jmillikin/rules_flex/releases/download/v0.3/rules_flex-v0.3.tar.xz"],
-)
-
-load("@rules_flex//flex:flex.bzl", "flex_register_toolchains")
-
-flex_register_toolchains(version = "2.6.4")
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "rules_bison",
-    sha256 = "9577455967bfcf52f9167274063ebb74696cb0fd576e4226e14ed23c5d67a693",
-    urls = ["https://github.com/jmillikin/rules_bison/releases/download/v0.2.1/rules_bison-v0.2.1.tar.xz"],
-)
-
-load("@rules_bison//bison:bison.bzl", "bison_register_toolchains")
-
-bison_register_toolchains(version = "3.3.2")
-
-# We, but also protobuf needs zlib. Make sure we define it first.
-http_archive(
-    name = "zlib",
-    build_file = "//bazel:zlib.BUILD",
-    sha256 = "9a93b2b7dfdac77ceba5a558a580e74667dd6fede4585b91eefb60f03b72df23",
-    strip_prefix = "zlib-1.3.1",
-    urls = [
-        "https://zlib.net/zlib-1.3.1.tar.gz",
-        "https://zlib.net/fossils/zlib-1.3.1.tar.gz",
-    ],
-)
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "com_google_protobuf",
-    patch_args = ["-p1"],
-    patches = [
-        "//bazel:proto-fix-uninitialized-value.patch",
-    ],
-    sha256 = "8ff511a64fc46ee792d3fe49a5a1bcad6f7dc50dfbba5a28b0e5b979c17f9871",
-    strip_prefix = "protobuf-25.2",
-    urls = [
-        "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/download/v25.2/protobuf-25.2.tar.gz",
-    ],
-)
-
-load("@com_google_protobuf//:protobuf_deps.bzl", "protobuf_deps")
-
-protobuf_deps()
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "rules_proto",
-    sha256 = "dc3fb206a2cb3441b485eb1e423165b231235a1ea9b031b4433cf7bc1fa460dd",
-    strip_prefix = "rules_proto-5.3.0-21.7",
-    urls = [
-        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_proto/archive/refs/tags/5.3.0-21.7.tar.gz",
-    ],
-)
-
-load("@rules_proto//proto:repositories.bzl", "rules_proto_dependencies")
-
-rules_proto_dependencies()
-
-http_archive(
-    name = "jsonhpp",
-    build_file = "//bazel:jsonhpp.BUILD",
-    sha256 = "0d8ef5af7f9794e3263480193c491549b2ba6cc74bb018906202ada498a79406",
-    strip_prefix = "json-3.11.3",
-    urls = [
-        "https://github.com/nlohmann/json/archive/refs/tags/v3.11.3.tar.gz",
-    ],
-)
diff --git a/WORKSPACE.bzlmod b/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb..000000000
diff --git a/bazel/zlib.BUILD b/bazel/zlib.BUILD
deleted file mode 100644
index 197650f41..000000000
--- a/bazel/zlib.BUILD
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,73 +0,0 @@
-load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_library")
-
-licenses(["notice"])  # BSD/MIT-like license (for zlib)
-
-exports_files(["zlib.BUILD"])
-
-_ZLIB_HEADERS = [
-    "crc32.h",
-    "deflate.h",
-    "gzguts.h",
-    "inffast.h",
-    "inffixed.h",
-    "inflate.h",
-    "inftrees.h",
-    "trees.h",
-    "zconf.h",
-    "zlib.h",
-    "zutil.h",
-]
-
-_ZLIB_PREFIXED_HEADERS = ["zlib/include/" + hdr for hdr in _ZLIB_HEADERS]
-
-# In order to limit the damage from the `includes` propagation
-# via `:zlib`, copy the public headers to a subdirectory and
-# expose those.
-genrule(
-    name = "copy_public_headers",
-    srcs = _ZLIB_HEADERS,
-    outs = _ZLIB_PREFIXED_HEADERS,
-    cmd_bash = "cp $(SRCS) $(@D)/zlib/include/",
-    cmd_bat = " && ".join(
-        ["@copy /Y $(location %s) $(@D)\\zlib\\include\\  >NUL" %
-         s for s in _ZLIB_HEADERS],
-    ),
-)
-
-cc_library(
-    name = "zlib",
-    srcs = [
-        "adler32.c",
-        "compress.c",
-        "crc32.c",
-        "deflate.c",
-        "gzclose.c",
-        "gzlib.c",
-        "gzread.c",
-        "gzwrite.c",
-        "infback.c",
-        "inffast.c",
-        "inflate.c",
-        "inftrees.c",
-        "trees.c",
-        "uncompr.c",
-        "zutil.c",
-        # Include the un-prefixed headers in srcs to work
-        # around the fact that zlib isn't consistent in its
-        # choice of <> or "" delimiter when including itself.
-    ] + _ZLIB_HEADERS,
-    hdrs = [  # _ZLIB_PREFIXED_HEADERS, but we only need a few.
-        "zlib/include/zconf.h",
-        "zlib/include/zlib.h",
-    ],
-    copts = select({
-        "@bazel_tools//src/conditions:windows": [],
-        "//conditions:default": [
-            "-Wno-deprecated-non-prototype",
-            "-Wno-unused-variable",
-            "-Wno-implicit-function-declaration",
-        ],
-    }),
-    includes = ["zlib/include/"],
-    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
-)
diff --git a/third_party/proto/kythe/BUILD b/third_party/proto/kythe/BUILD
index 0df5ac3fa..f2e9e553e 100644
--- a/third_party/proto/kythe/BUILD
+++ b/third_party/proto/kythe/BUILD
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# Unfortunately, can't use @com_google_protobuf//bazel:cc_proto_library.bzl
+# here, as this does not seem to work with windows.
 load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_proto_library")
 load("@rules_proto//proto:defs.bzl", "proto_library")