diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 6ada769..bf35660 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        php-version: ['7.2', '7.3', '7.4', '8.0']
+        php-version: ['7.2', '7.3', '7.4', '8.0', '8.1']
         prefer-lowest: ['']
         thumber-driver: ['imagick', 'gd']
         include:
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ jobs:
           - php-version: '8.0'
             prefer-lowest: 'prefer-lowest'
             thumber-driver: 'imagick'
+          - php-version: '8.1'
+            prefer-lowest: 'prefer-lowest'
+            thumber-driver: 'imagick'
           - php-version: '7.4'
             thumber-driver: 'gd'
         exclude:
@@ -75,14 +78,14 @@ jobs:
             if  [[ ${{ matrix.thumber-driver }} == 'gd' ]] || ${{ matrix.prefer-lowest == 'prefer-lowest' }}; then
               vendor/bin/phpunit --exclude-group imageEquals
             elif [[ ${{ matrix.php-version }} == '8.0' ]]; then
-              export CODECOVERAGE=1 && vendor/bin/phpunit --verbose --coverage-clover=coverage.xml
+             export XDEBUG_MODE=coverage && vendor/bin/phpunit --verbose --coverage-clover=coverage.xml
             else
               vendor/bin/phpunit
             fi
 
         - name: Submit code coverage
           if: matrix.php-version == '8.0'
-          uses: codecov/codecov-action@v1
+          uses: codecov/codecov-action@v2
 
   cs-stan:
     name: Coding Standard & Static Analysis
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2214424..67fe5e3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # 1.x branch
 ## 1.9 branch
+### 1.9.9
+* added tests for PHP 8.1;
+* little fixes.
+
 ### 1.9.8
 * fixed the bootstrap.
 
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 6f22255..535564b 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
         "php": ">=7.2",
         "cakephp/cakephp": "^4.0",
         "intervention/image": "^2.4",
-        "mirko-pagliai/me-tools": "^2.20",
-        "mirko-pagliai/php-thumber": "^1.4"
+        "mirko-pagliai/me-tools": "^2.20.9",
+        "mirko-pagliai/php-thumber": "^1.4",
+        "mirko-pagliai/php-tools": "~1.5.9"
     },
     "require-dev": {
         "cakephp/cakephp-codesniffer": "^4.0",
-        "phpunit/phpunit": "^8.5.14|^9.0"
+        "phpunit/phpunit": "^8.5.14|^9.1|^9.5"
     },
     "autoload": {
         "psr-4": {
diff --git a/psalm.xml b/psalm.xml
index 0b4fcc2..acc2420 100644
--- a/psalm.xml
+++ b/psalm.xml
@@ -15,22 +15,34 @@
     </projectFiles>
 
     <issueHandlers>
+        <NullableReturnStatement>
+            <errorLevel type="suppress">
+                <file name="src/View/Helper/ThumbHelper.php" />
+            </errorLevel>
+        </NullableReturnStatement>
+
+        <RedundantPropertyInitializationCheck>
+            <errorLevel type="suppress">
+                <file name="src/Utility/ThumbCreator.php" />
+            </errorLevel>
+        </RedundantPropertyInitializationCheck>
+
         <UndefinedConstant>
             <errorLevel type="suppress">
                 <file name="src/Middleware/ThumbnailMiddleware.php" />
             </errorLevel>
         </UndefinedConstant>
 
-        <UndefinedInterfaceMethod>
+        <UndefinedFunction>
             <errorLevel type="suppress">
-                <file name="src/Middleware/ThumbnailMiddleware.php" />
+                <file name="src/View/Helper/ThumbHelper.php" />
             </errorLevel>
-        </UndefinedInterfaceMethod>
+        </UndefinedFunction>
 
-        <NullableReturnStatement>
+        <UndefinedInterfaceMethod>
             <errorLevel type="suppress">
-                <file name="src/View/Helper/ThumbHelper.php" />
+                <file name="src/Middleware/ThumbnailMiddleware.php" />
             </errorLevel>
-        </NullableReturnStatement>
+        </UndefinedInterfaceMethod>
     </issueHandlers>
 </psalm>
diff --git a/src/Utility/ThumbCreator.php b/src/Utility/ThumbCreator.php
index ea71ccb..d0d8e3a 100644
--- a/src/Utility/ThumbCreator.php
+++ b/src/Utility/ThumbCreator.php
@@ -71,11 +71,10 @@ protected function getImageInstance(): Image
      * @return string
      * @since 1.5.1
      * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
-     * @uses $target
      */
     public function getUrl(bool $fullBase = true): string
     {
-        Exceptionist::isTrue($this->target, __d(
+        Exceptionist::isTrue($this->target ?? false, __d(
             'thumber',
             'Missing path of the generated thumbnail. Probably the `{0}` method has not been invoked',
             'save()'
diff --git a/src/View/Helper/ThumbHelper.php b/src/View/Helper/ThumbHelper.php
index d30aa63..dde4701 100644
--- a/src/View/Helper/ThumbHelper.php
+++ b/src/View/Helper/ThumbHelper.php
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public function __call(string $name, array $params): string
      */
     protected function isUrlMethod(string $name): bool
     {
-        return string_ends_with($name, 'Url');
+        return str_ends_with($name, 'Url');
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/version b/version
index 66beabb..6ae756c 100644
--- a/version
+++ b/version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.9.8
+1.9.9