diff --git a/build.cmd b/build.cmd
index 3485a92..d086bb4 100644
--- a/build.cmd
+++ b/build.cmd
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ set vs_tools_dir=%vs_install_dir%\VC\Tools\MSVC\%vs_tools_version%
 if exist .cache\repos\cppfront\ (
     @rem TODO - report which cppfront version is being used
 ) else (
-    git clone https://github.com/hsutter/cppfront.git .cache/repos/cppfront --quiet
+    git clone --quiet --branch=v0.8.0 --depth=1 https://github.com/hsutter/cppfront.git .cache/repos/cppfront 
 )
 
 call "%vs_install_dir%\Common7\Tools\vsdevcmd.bat" /no_logo
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 0b2efd9..aca435b 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -62,10 +62,11 @@ log_info "using compiler '$CPP2B_COMPILER' version '$COMPILER_VERSION'"
 
 function ensure_gh_repo() {
     local repo=$1
+    local branch=$2
     local repo_path=$ROOT_DIR/.cache/repos/$repo
     if ! [ -d $repo_path ]; then
         mkdir -p $repo_path
-        git clone --quiet --depth=1 --filter=blob:none --sparse https://github.com/$repo $repo_path
+        git clone --quiet --depth=1 --branch=$branch --filter=blob:none --sparse https://github.com/$repo $repo_path
     fi
 }
 
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ function ensure_gh_repo_subdir() {
     fi
 }
 
-ensure_gh_repo "hsutter/cppfront"
+ensure_gh_repo "hsutter/cppfront" "v0.8.0"
 ensure_gh_repo_subdir "hsutter/cppfront" "source"
 ensure_gh_repo_subdir "hsutter/cppfront" "include"
 
@@ -93,7 +94,22 @@ LLVM_ROOT=/usr/lib/llvm-$COMPILER_MAJOR_VERSION
 if ! [ -x $CPPFRONT ]; then
     log_info "compiling cppfront..."
     cd $ROOT_DIR/.cache/repos/hsutter/cppfront/source
-    $CPP2B_COMPILER -lstdc++ -lc -lm -fuse-ld=lld -std=c++23 cppfront.cpp -o $CPPFRONT
+    $CPP2B_COMPILER \
+        -std=c++23                                    \
+        -stdlib=libc++                                \
+        -fexperimental-library                        \
+        -Wno-unused-result                            \
+        -Wno-deprecated-declarations                  \
+        -fprebuilt-module-path=$MODULES_DIR           \
+        -L$LLVM_ROOT/lib                              \
+        -isystem $LLVM_ROOT/include/c++/v1            \
+        -lc++abi                                      \
+        -lc++                                         \
+        -lm                                           \
+        -static                                       \
+        -fuse-ld=lld                                  \
+        -I"$CPPFRONT_INCLUDE_DIR"                     \
+        cppfront.cpp -o $CPPFRONT
     cd $ROOT_DIR
 fi
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp2 b/src/main.cpp2
index 409770d..e88e94e 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp2
+++ b/src/main.cpp2
@@ -65,12 +65,12 @@ expect: <T>(move opt: std::optional<T>, message) -> T = {
 GitHubRepo: type = {
 	private repo_: fs::path;
 
-	operator=: (out this, repo) = {
+	operator=: (out this, repo, branch) = {
 		repo_ = repo;
 
 		if !fs::exists(path() / ".git") {
 			ensure_dir(path());
-			git_("clone --depth=1 --filter=blob:none --sparse https://github.com/(repo_.generic_string())$ .");
+			git_("clone --depth=1 --branch=(branch)$ --filter=blob:none --sparse https://github.com/(repo_.generic_string())$ .");
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ do_build: (targets: std::vector<std::string>) -> (stuff: full_build_info, exit_c
 	build_cpp2_dir := fs::current_path();
 	stuff = ();
 
-	(repo := GitHubRepo("hsutter/cppfront")) { 
+	(repo := GitHubRepo("hsutter/cppfront", "v0.8.0")) { 
 		repo.add("source");
 		repo.add("include");
 		exit_code = ensure_cppfront(repo.path());