diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-stable.yml b/.github/workflows/test-stable.yml
index 4a7e89df..be4b0545 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-stable.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-stable.yml
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
         path: ngircd
-        ref: 3e3f6cbeceefd9357b53b27c2386bb39306ab353
+        ref: acf8409c60ccc96beed0a1f990c4f9374823c0ce
         repository: ngircd/ngircd
     - name: Build ngircd
       run: |
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
         path: unrealircd
-        ref: da3c1c654481a33035b9c703957e1c25d0158259
+        ref: a68625454078641ce984eeb197f7e02b1857ab6c
         repository: unrealircd/unrealircd
     - name: Build UnrealIRCd 6
       run: |
diff --git a/irctest/server_tests/chmodes/operator.py b/irctest/server_tests/chmodes/operator.py
index a4b04658..52f9e0f0 100644
--- a/irctest/server_tests/chmodes/operator.py
+++ b/irctest/server_tests/chmodes/operator.py
@@ -71,22 +71,34 @@ def testChannelOperatorModeTargetDoesNotExist(self):
             self.assertLessEqual(commands, {ERR_NOSUCHNICK, ERR_USERNOTINCHANNEL})
 
     @cases.mark_specifications("Modern")
+    @cases.xfailIf(
+        lambda self: bool(
+            self.controller.software_name == "UnrealIRCd"
+            and self.controller.software_version == 5
+        ),
+        "UnrealIRCd <6.1.7 returns ERR_NOSUCHNICK on non-existent channel",
+    )
     def testChannelOperatorModeChannelDoesNotExist(self):
-        """Test that +o targeting a nonexistent channel fails as expected."""
+        """Test that +o targeting a nonexistent channel fails as expected.
+
+        "If <target> is a channel that does not exist on the network,
+        # the ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL (403) numeric is returned."
+        """
         self.setupNicks()
         # target channel does not exist, but target nick does:
         self.sendLine("chanop", "MODE #nonexistentchan +o chanop")
         messages = self.getMessages("chanop")
         self.assertEqual(len(messages), 1)
-        # Modern: "If <target> is a channel that does not exist on the network,
-        # the ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL (403) numeric is returned."
-        # However, Unreal and ngircd send 401 ERR_NOSUCHNICK here instead:
-        if self.controller.software_name not in ("UnrealIRCd", "ngIRCd"):
-            self.assertEqual(messages[0].command, ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL)
-        else:
-            self.assertIn(messages[0].command, [ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL, ERR_NOSUCHNICK])
+        self.assertMessageMatch(messages[0], command=ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL)
 
     @cases.mark_specifications("Modern")
+    @cases.xfailIf(
+        lambda self: bool(
+            self.controller.software_name == "UnrealIRCd"
+            and self.controller.software_version == 5
+        ),
+        "UnrealIRCd <6.1.7 returns ERR_NOSUCHNICK on non-existent channel",
+    )
     def testChannelOperatorModeChannelAndTargetDoNotExist(self):
         """Test that +o targeting a nonexistent channel and nickname
         fails as expected."""
@@ -97,7 +109,7 @@ def testChannelOperatorModeChannelAndTargetDoNotExist(self):
         self.assertEqual(len(messages), 1)
         self.assertIn(
             messages[0].command,
-            [ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL, ERR_NOTONCHANNEL, ERR_NOSUCHNICK, ERR_USERNOTINCHANNEL],
+            [ERR_NOSUCHCHANNEL, ERR_NOTONCHANNEL, ERR_USERNOTINCHANNEL],
         )
 
     @cases.mark_specifications("Modern")
diff --git a/workflows.yml b/workflows.yml
index 2a2991ff..eb989199 100644
--- a/workflows.yml
+++ b/workflows.yml
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ software:
         name: ngircd
         repository: ngircd/ngircd
         refs:
-            stable: 3e3f6cbeceefd9357b53b27c2386bb39306ab353 # three years ahead of rel-26.1
+            stable: acf8409c60ccc96beed0a1f990c4f9374823c0ce # three months ahead of v27
             release: null
             devel: master
             devel_release: null
@@ -300,8 +300,8 @@ software:
         name: UnrealIRCd 6
         repository: unrealircd/unrealircd
         refs:
-            stable: da3c1c654481a33035b9c703957e1c25d0158259  # 6.0.7
-            release: da3c1c654481a33035b9c703957e1c25d0158259  # 6.0.7
+            stable: a68625454078641ce984eeb197f7e02b1857ab6c # 6.1.7.1
+            release: a68625454078641ce984eeb197f7e02b1857ab6c # 6.1.7.1
             devel: unreal60_dev
             devel_release: null
         path: unrealircd