diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 434f76ab..bba12a96 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ on: [push, pull_request]
 
 jobs:
   lint-commitlint:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check commit message compliance of the pull request
         if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
         run: |
-          ./run-tests.sh --check-commitlint ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}~${{ github.event.pull_request.commits }} ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }} ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+          ./run-tests.sh --check-commitlint ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }} ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }} ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
 
   lint-shellcheck:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ jobs:
           ./run-tests.sh --check-shellcheck
 
   lint-black:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.8"
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Check Python code formatting
         run: |
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ jobs:
           ./run-tests.sh --check-black
 
   lint-flake8:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.8"
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Check compliance with pep8, pyflakes and circular complexity
         run: |
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ jobs:
           ./run-tests.sh --check-flake8
 
   lint-pydocstyle:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.8"
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Check compliance with Python docstring conventions
         run: |
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ jobs:
           ./run-tests.sh --check-pydocstyle
 
   lint-check-manifest:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.8"
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Check Python manifest completeness
         run: |
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ jobs:
           ./run-tests.sh --check-manifest
 
   docs-sphinx:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.8"
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install system dependencies
         run: |
@@ -137,15 +137,15 @@ jobs:
         run: ./run-tests.sh --check-sphinx
 
   python-tests:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.8
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.8"
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install Python dependencies
         run: |
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ jobs:
           files: coverage.xml
 
   lint-helm:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.readthedocs.yaml b/.readthedocs.yaml
index 1240941f..32f7a2d0 100644
--- a/.readthedocs.yaml
+++ b/.readthedocs.yaml
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
 version: 2
 
 build:
-  os: ubuntu-22.04
+  os: ubuntu-24.04
   tools:
-    python: "3.8"
+    python: "3.12"
 
 sphinx:
   configuration: docs/conf.py
diff --git a/reana/config.py b/reana/config.py
index 74ad4edc..fb4889cd 100644
--- a/reana/config.py
+++ b/reana/config.py
@@ -296,10 +296,10 @@
 CODECOV_REANAHUB_URL = "https://codecov.io/gh/reanahub"
 """REANA Hub organisation Codecov URL."""
 
-PYTHON_EXECUTABLE_NAME = "python3.8"
+PYTHON_EXECUTABLE_NAME = "python3.12"
 """Python executable name with the same version as cluster components."""
 
-PYTHON_DOCKER_IMAGE = "docker.io/library/python:3.8"
+PYTHON_DOCKER_IMAGE = "docker.io/library/python:3.12"
 """Python docker image with the same version as cluster components."""
 
 RELEASE_COMMIT_REGEX = re.compile("^(release:|chore.*: release)")
diff --git a/reana/reana_dev/utils.py b/reana/reana_dev/utils.py
index 1ce74119..6bdc10d7 100644
--- a/reana/reana_dev/utils.py
+++ b/reana/reana_dev/utils.py
@@ -802,11 +802,11 @@ def _bump_dev_post_pre(dev_post_pre_number):
             f"{version.major}.{version.minor}.{version.micro}{dev_post_pre_part}"
         )
     elif (part and part == "micro") or (isinstance(version.micro, int) and not part):
-        next_version = Version(f"{version.major}.{version.minor}.{version.micro+1}")
+        next_version = Version(f"{version.major}.{version.minor}.{version.micro + 1}")
     elif (part and part == "minor") or (isinstance(version.minor, int) and not part):
-        next_version = Version(f"{version.major}.{version.minor+1}.0")
+        next_version = Version(f"{version.major}.{version.minor + 1}.0")
     elif (part and part == "major") or (isinstance(version.major, int) and not part):
-        next_version = Version(f"{version.major+1}.0.0")
+        next_version = Version(f"{version.major + 1}.0.0")
 
     return str(next_version)
 
diff --git a/run-tests.sh b/run-tests.sh
index e21ba846..90d707b6 100755
--- a/run-tests.sh
+++ b/run-tests.sh
@@ -19,20 +19,23 @@ check_commitlint () {
         commit_hash=$(echo "$line" | cut -d ' ' -f 1)
         commit_title=$(echo "$line" | cut -d ' ' -f 2-)
         commit_number_of_parents=$(git rev-list --parents "$commit_hash" -n1 | awk '{print NF-1}')
+        # (i) skip checking release commits generated by Release Please
+        if [ "$commit_number_of_parents" -le 1 ] && echo "$commit_title" | grep -qP "^chore\(.*\): release"; then
+            continue
+        fi
+        # (ii) check presence of PR number
+        if ! echo "$commit_title" | grep -qP "\(\#$pr\)$"; then
+            echo "✖   Headline does not end by '(#$pr)' PR number: $commit_title"
+            found=1
+        fi
+        # (iii) check absence of merge commits in feature branches
         if [ "$commit_number_of_parents" -gt 1 ]; then
             if echo "$commit_title" | grep -qP "^chore\(.*\): merge "; then
-                break
+                break  # skip checking maint-to-master merge commits
             else
                 echo "✖   Merge commits are not allowed in feature branches: $commit_title"
                 found=1
             fi
-        elif echo "$commit_title" | grep -qP "^chore\(.*\): release"; then
-            true
-        elif echo "$commit_title" | grep -qP "\(\#$pr\)$"; then
-            true
-        else
-            echo "✖   Headline does not end by '(#$pr)' PR number: $commit_title"
-            found=1
         fi
     done < <(git log "$from..$to" --format="%H %s")
     if [ $found -gt 0 ]; then
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 23b0453c..8f9827d2 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
         "License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License",
         "Operating System :: OS Independent",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
-        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPython",
         "Programming Language :: Python",
         "Topic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP :: Dynamic Content",