diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 481a822..a0648f1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ jobs:
             pyver: cp38-cp38
             piparch: manylinux1_x86_64
             numpy: numpy==1.17.3
-            cython: Cython==0.29.2
+            cython: Cython==0.29.14
 
           - name: linux 3.9 amd64
             os: ubuntu-latest
@@ -101,15 +101,15 @@ jobs:
             os: ubuntu-latest
             pyver: cp310-cp310
             piparch: manylinux2014_x86_64
-            numpy: numpy==1.22.0
-            cython: Cython==0.29.23
+            numpy: numpy==2.0.1
+            cython: Cython==3.0.10
 
           - name: linux 3.11 amd64
             os: ubuntu-latest
             pyver: cp311-cp311
             piparch: manylinux2014_x86_64
-            numpy: numpy==1.23.5
-            cython: Cython==0.29.35
+            numpy: numpy==2.0.1
+            cython: Cython==3.0.10
 
           - name: linux 3.12 amd64
             os: ubuntu-latest
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ jobs:
             pyver: cp38-cp38
             piparch: manylinux1_i686
             numpy: numpy==1.19.5
-            cython: Cython==0.29.2
+            cython: Cython==0.29.14
             pre: linux32
             skip_cothread: yes
 
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ jobs:
             python: "3.8"
             piparch: macosx_11_0_universal2
             numpy: numpy==1.24.4
-            cython: Cython==0.29.2
+            cython: Cython==0.29.15
             skip_cothread: yes
 
           - name: osx 3.9 arm64
@@ -248,56 +248,64 @@ jobs:
             os: windows-2019
             python: "3.5"
             piparch: win_amd64
-            profile: latest
+            numpy: numpy==1.12.1
+            cython: Cython==0.29.2
             skip_cothread: yes
 
           - name: win64 3.6
             os: windows-latest
             python: "3.6"
             piparch: win_amd64
-            profile: latest
+            numpy: numpy==1.12.1
+            cython: Cython==0.29.2
             skip_cothread: yes
 
           - name: win64 3.7
             os: windows-latest
             python: "3.7"
             piparch: win_amd64
-            profile: latest
+            numpy: numpy==1.16.2
+            cython: Cython==0.29.2
             skip_cothread: yes
 
           - name: win64 3.8
             os: windows-latest
             python: "3.8"
             piparch: win_amd64
-            profile: latest
+            numpy: numpy==1.19.5
+            cython: Cython==0.29.14
             skip_cothread: yes
 
           - name: win64 3.9
             os: windows-latest
             python: "3.9"
             piparch: win_amd64
-            profile: latest
+            numpy: numpy==1.19.5
+            cython: Cython==0.29.23
             skip_cothread: yes
 
           - name: win64 3.10
             os: windows-latest
             python: "3.10"
             piparch: win_amd64
-            profile: latest
+            numpy: numpy==1.21.3
+            cython: Cython==0.29.23
             skip_cothread: yes
 
           - name: win64 3.11
             os: windows-latest
             python: "3.11"
             piparch: win_amd64
-            profile: latest
+            numpy: numpy==1.23.2
+            cython: Cython==3.0.10
             skip_cothread: yes
 
           - name: win64 3.12
             os: windows-latest
             python: "3.12"
             piparch: win_amd64
-            profile: latest
+            numpy: numpy==1.26.0
+            cython: Cython==3.0.10
             skip_cothread: yes
 
     steps:
@@ -350,9 +358,9 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           if [ "${{ matrix.profile }}" ]
           then
-            python -m pip install -r requirements-${{ matrix.profile }}.txt
+            python -m pip install --only-binary numpy,numpy,Cython -r requirements-${{ matrix.profile }}.txt
           else
-            python -m pip install --only-binary numpy nose2 ply ${{ matrix.numpy }} ${{ matrix.cython }}
+            python -m pip install --only-binary numpy,numpy,Cython nose2 ply ${{ matrix.numpy }} ${{ matrix.cython }}
           fi
           if [ "${{ matrix.skip_cothread }}" != "yes" ]
           then
@@ -411,9 +419,9 @@ jobs:
           python -m pip install --only-binary numpy $PRE setuptools-dso epicscorelibs pvxslibs
           if [ "${{ matrix.profile }}" ]
           then
-            python -m pip install --only-binary numpy -r requirements-${{ matrix.profile }}.txt
+            python -m pip install --only-binary numpy,numpy,Cython -r requirements-${{ matrix.profile }}.txt
           else
-            python -m pip install --only-binary numpy nose2 ply ${{ matrix.numpy }} ${{ matrix.cython }}
+            python -m pip install --only-binary numpy,numpy,Cython nose2 ply ${{ matrix.numpy }} ${{ matrix.cython }}
           fi
           if [ "${{ matrix.skip_cothread }}" != "yes" ]
           then
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 767d25b..77bd054 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ requires = [
     "setuptools_dso>=2.7a1,<=2.10; python_version<='3.11'",
     "setuptools_dso>=2.11a2; python_version>='3.12'",
     "wheel",
-    "numpy",
-    "numpy>=2.0.1; python_version>='3.10'",
+    "numpy>=1.7",
     "Cython>=0.20",
     "epicscorelibs==7.0.7.99.0.2; python_version<='3.11'",
     "epicscorelibs>=7.0.7.99.1.1a2; python_version>='3.12'",
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 57af131..a348dba 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ def get_numpy_include_dirs():
     package_version = str(lcl['version'])
     del lcl
 
-cxxflags = ['-std=c++11']
+cxxflags = []
+if get_config_var('CMPLR_CLASS') in ('gcc', 'clang'):
+    cxxflags += ['-std=c++11']
 ldflags = []
 import sys
 import platform
@@ -93,6 +95,20 @@ def get_numpy_include_dirs():
 with open(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'README.md')) as F:
     long_description = F.read()
 
+install_requires = [
+    epicscorelibs.version.abi_requires(),
+    pvxslibs.version.abi_requires(),
+    'nose2>=0.8.0',
+    'ply', # for asLib
+]
+
+if hasattr(numpy.lib, "NumpyVersion") and numpy.lib.NumpyVersion(numpy.__version__) >= '2.0.0b1':
+    install_requires += ['numpy >= 1.7', 'numpy < 3']
+else:
+    # assume ABI forward compatibility as indicated by
+    # https://github.com/numpy/numpy/blob/master/numpy/core/setup_common.py#L28
+    install_requires += ['numpy >=%s'%numpy.version.short_version, 'numpy < 2']
+
 setup(
     name='p4p',
     version=package_version,
@@ -131,15 +147,7 @@ def get_numpy_include_dirs():
     package_dir={'':'src'},
     package_data={'p4p': ['*.conf', '*.service']},
     ext_modules = exts,
-    install_requires = [
-        epicscorelibs.version.abi_requires(),
-        pvxslibs.version.abi_requires(),
-        # assume ABI forward compatibility as indicated by
-        # https://github.com/numpy/numpy/blob/master/numpy/core/setup_common.py#L28
-        'numpy >=%s'%numpy.version.short_version,
-        'nose2>=0.8.0',
-        'ply', # for asLib
-    ],
+    install_requires = install_requires,
     extras_require={
         'qt': ['qtpy'],
     },
diff --git a/src/p4p.h b/src/p4p.h
index 6504706..285a499 100644
--- a/src/p4p.h
+++ b/src/p4p.h
@@ -40,10 +40,11 @@
 #  endif
 #endif
 
-// avoid numpy deprecation warnings when building with cython >= 3.0
-#if CYTHON_HEX_VERSION>=0x03000000
-#  define NPY_NO_DEPRECATED_API NPY_1_7_API_VERSION
-#endif
+// this file must be included from all code using numpy APIs
+// include cython generated code.
+// minimum supported numpy version...
+#define NPY_NO_DEPRECATED_API NPY_1_7_API_VERSION
+#define NPY_TARGET_VERSION NPY_1_7_API_VERSION
 
 namespace p4p {
 
diff --git a/src/p4p/version.py b/src/p4p/version.py
index 23c763b..a24f069 100644
--- a/src/p4p/version.py
+++ b/src/p4p/version.py
@@ -67,4 +67,4 @@ def __ge__(self, o):
     def __gt__(self, o):
         return self._cmp(o)>0
 
-version = Version('4.2.0a1')
+version = Version('4.2.0a2')
diff --git a/src/pvxs_value.cpp b/src/pvxs_value.cpp
index 4ab07a8..0052cad 100644
--- a/src/pvxs_value.cpp
+++ b/src/pvxs_value.cpp
@@ -4,14 +4,10 @@
 #include <p4p.h>
 #include <_p4p.h>
 
+// import handled by cython
 #define NO_IMPORT_ARRAY
-//#define NPY_NO_DEPRECATED_API NPY_1_7_API_VERSION
 #include <numpy/ndarrayobject.h>
 
-#ifndef NPY_ARRAY_FORCECAST
-#  define NPY_ARRAY_FORCECAST (0)
-#endif
-
 namespace p4p {
 
 int except_map()
@@ -159,7 +155,7 @@ PyObject* asPy(const Value& v, bool unpackstruct, bool unpackrecurse, PyObject*
 
     PyRef pyarr(PyArray_New(&PyArray_Type, 1, &shape, ntype, nullptr,
                             const_cast<void*>(varr.data()), // should not actually be modifiable
-                            esize, NPY_CARRAY_RO, nullptr));
+                            esize, NPY_ARRAY_CARRAY_RO, nullptr));
 
 #ifdef PyArray_SetBaseObject
     PyArray_SetBaseObject((PyArrayObject*)pyarr.obj, holder.release());
@@ -530,7 +526,7 @@ void storePy(Value& v, PyObject* py, bool forceCast)
             }
 
             PyRef arr(PyArray_FromAny(py, PyArray_DescrFromType(ntype), 0, 0,
-                                      NPY_CARRAY_RO|NPY_ARRAY_FORCECAST, nullptr));
+                                      NPY_ARRAY_CARRAY_RO|NPY_ARRAY_FORCECAST, nullptr));
 
             if(PyArray_NDIM((PyArrayObject*)arr.obj)!=1)
                 throw std::logic_error("Only 1-d array can be assigned");