diff --git a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
index 11103c99..a8e1b043 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         ruby: [2.7, '3.0']
         rails_version: ['6.1.7.1', '7.0.4.1']
+        blacklight_version: ['~> 7.0']
         additional_engine_cart_rails_options: ['']
         include:
         - ruby: '3.3'
@@ -31,8 +32,13 @@ jobs:
           rails_version: '7.0.4.1'
         - ruby: '3.0'
           rails_version: '7.0.4.1'
+        - ruby: '3.2'
+          rails_version: '7.1.3'
+          name: 'Blacklight 8'
+          blacklight_version: '8.1.0'
+
     env:
-      BLACKLIGHT_VERSION: "~> 7.0" # only test on BL 7 for now
+      BLACKLIGHT_VERSION: ${{ matrix.blacklight_version }}
       RAILS_VERSION: ${{ matrix.rails_version }}
       ENGINE_CART_RAILS_OPTIONS: "--skip-git --skip-listen --skip-spring --skip-keeps --skip-coffee --skip-test ${{ matrix.engine_cart_rails_options }}"
     steps:
diff --git a/spec/test_app_templates/Gemfile.extra b/spec/test_app_templates/Gemfile.extra
index 4c8ed4be..abd86abc 100644
--- a/spec/test_app_templates/Gemfile.extra
+++ b/spec/test_app_templates/Gemfile.extra
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
 gem 'rails-controller-testing'
-gem 'blacklight', ENV['BLACKLIGHT_VERSION'] if ENV['BLACKLIGHT_VERSION']
+
+if ENV['BLACKLIGHT_VERSION'] == 'github'
+  gem 'blacklight', github: 'projectblacklight/blacklight'
+elsif ENV['BLACKLIGHT_VERSION'] && !ENV['BLACKLIGHT_VERSION'].empty?
+  gem 'blacklight', ENV['BLACKLIGHT_VERSION']
+end
\ No newline at end of file