diff --git a/.github/workflows/oldest.yml b/.github/workflows/oldest.yml
index dd268977e..752c87d0b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/oldest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/oldest.yml
@@ -137,15 +137,18 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         $stack install --test --bench hledger-web --fast --ghc-options=-Werror
 
+    # XXX disable until this is fixed: shelltestrunner-1.10/src/shelltest.hs:125:20: error:
+    # shelltestrunner      >     Not in scope: ‘configFailFast’
+    # shelltestrunner      >     Perhaps you meant ‘configFastFail’ (imported from Test.Hspec.Core.Runner)
 
-    - name: Install shelltestrunner
-      run: |
-        export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
-        if [[ ! -x ~/.local/bin/shelltest ]]; then $stack install shelltestrunner-1.10; fi
-        shelltest --version
+    # - name: Install shelltestrunner
+    #   run: |
+    #     export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
+    #     if [[ ! -x ~/.local/bin/shelltest ]]; then $stack install shelltestrunner-1.10; fi
+    #     shelltest --version
 
-    - name: Test functional tests (excluding addons)
-      run: |
-        export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
-        COLUMNS=80 $stack exec -- shelltest --execdir -j16 hledger/test -x /_ -x /addons -x ledger-compat/ledger-baseline -x ledger-compat/ledger-regress -x ledger-compat/ledger-collected
-        # XXX run the bin/ func tests corresponding to the GHC version enabled above, only
+    # - name: Test functional tests (excluding addons)
+    #   run: |
+    #     export PATH=~/.local/bin:$PATH
+    #     COLUMNS=80 $stack exec -- shelltest --execdir -j16 hledger/test -x /_ -x /addons -x ledger-compat/ledger-baseline -x ledger-compat/ledger-regress -x ledger-compat/ledger-collected
+    #     # XXX run the bin/ func tests corresponding to the GHC version enabled above, only
diff --git a/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal b/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
index 63ccb878e..6e2a06cc6 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
+++ b/hledger-lib/hledger-lib.cabal
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ library
     , ansi-terminal >=0.9
     , array
     , base >=4.14 && <4.21
-    , base-compat
+    , base-compat >=0.14.0
     , blaze-html
     , blaze-markup >=0.5.1
     , bytestring
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ test-suite doctest
     , ansi-terminal >=0.9
     , array
     , base >=4.14 && <4.21
-    , base-compat
+    , base-compat >=0.14.0
     , blaze-html
     , blaze-markup >=0.5.1
     , bytestring
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ test-suite unittest
     , ansi-terminal >=0.9
     , array
     , base >=4.14 && <4.21
-    , base-compat
+    , base-compat >=0.14.0
     , blaze-html
     , blaze-markup >=0.5.1
     , bytestring
diff --git a/hledger-lib/package.yaml b/hledger-lib/package.yaml
index ff4c4bdc2..45935b009 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger-lib/package.yaml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ extra-source-files:
 
 dependencies:
 - base >=4.14 && <4.21
-- base-compat
+- base-compat >=0.14.0
 - aeson >=1 && <2.3
 - aeson-pretty
 - ansi-terminal >=0.9
diff --git a/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/Handler/RegisterR.hs b/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/Handler/RegisterR.hs
index 729f82d9d..f2220dcea 100644
--- a/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/Handler/RegisterR.hs
+++ b/hledger-web/Hledger/Web/Handler/RegisterR.hs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 module Hledger.Web.Handler.RegisterR where
 
-import qualified Data.List.NonEmpty as NonEmpty
+import qualified Data.List.NonEmpty.Compat as NonEmpty  -- from base-compat for ghc 8.10
 import Data.List (intersperse, nub, partition)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Text.Hamlet (hamletFile)
diff --git a/hledger-web/hledger-web.cabal b/hledger-web/hledger-web.cabal
index 715192088..876973912 100644
--- a/hledger-web/hledger-web.cabal
+++ b/hledger-web/hledger-web.cabal
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ library
       Decimal >=0.5.1
     , aeson >=1 && <2.3
     , base >=4.14 && <4.21
+    , base-compat >=0.14.0
     , base64
     , blaze-html
     , blaze-markup
@@ -226,6 +227,7 @@ executable hledger-web
   cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.40.99"
   build-depends:
       base >=4.14 && <4.21
+    , base-compat >=0.14.0
     , hledger-web
   default-language: Haskell2010
   if (flag(dev)) || (flag(library-only))
@@ -250,6 +252,7 @@ test-suite test
   cpp-options: -DVERSION="1.40.99"
   build-depends:
       base >=4.14 && <4.21
+    , base-compat >=0.14.0
     , hledger-web
   default-language: Haskell2010
   if (flag(dev)) || (flag(library-only))
diff --git a/hledger-web/package.yaml b/hledger-web/package.yaml
index 56a61fd27..c0baad255 100644
--- a/hledger-web/package.yaml
+++ b/hledger-web/package.yaml
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ when:
 
 dependencies:
 - base >=4.14 && <4.21
+- base-compat >=0.14.0
 
 library:
   source-dirs: .
diff --git a/stack.yaml b/stack.yaml
index 86ca9bb6f..b5d96b579 100644
--- a/stack.yaml
+++ b/stack.yaml
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ packages:
 - hledger-web
 
 extra-deps:
+- base-compat-0.14.0
+- base-compat-batteries-0.14.0
 # for hledger-lib
 - Cabal-3.12.0.0
 - Cabal-syntax-3.12.0.0
diff --git a/stack8.10.yaml b/stack8.10.yaml
index 028c60045..a7f31aabc 100644
--- a/stack8.10.yaml
+++ b/stack8.10.yaml
@@ -8,8 +8,21 @@ packages:
 - hledger-ui
 - hledger-web
 
+# I give up, go with this for now
+allow-newer: true
+
 extra-deps:
 - safe-0.3.21
+
+- base-compat-0.14.0
+# needed for the above:
+- base-compat-batteries-0.14.0
+- data-array-byte-0.1.0.1
+- foldable1-classes-compat-0.1
+- hashable-1.4.7.0
+- OneTuple-0.4.2
+# etc etc etc.
+
 # for hledger-lib:
 - doctest-0.20.0
 - ansi-terminal-0.11.4