diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 53be81bdf6..9d70b6c2b5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
                 # TODO: Replace with macos-latest when works again.
                 #   https://github.com/actions/setup-python/issues/808
                 os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-12]   # eventually add `windows-latest`
-                python-version: [3.8, 3.9, "3.10", "3.11"]
+                python-version: [3.8, 3.9, "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
 
         env:
           GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c7840afd6a..d13f5ae307 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Read our [academic platform](https://academy.apeworx.io/) will help you master A
 In the latest release, Ape requires:
 
 - Linux or macOS
-- Python 3.8 up to 3.11
+- Python 3.8 up to 3.12
 - **Windows**: Install Windows Subsystem Linux [(WSL)](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install)
 
 Check your python version in a terminal with `python3 --version`.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 4e4a146a24..2043cc73a7 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ write_to = "src/ape/version.py"
 # character.
 [tool.black]
 line-length = 100
-target-version = ['py38', 'py39', 'py310']
+target-version = ['py38', 'py39', 'py310', 'py311', 'py312']
 include = '\.pyi?$'
 
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 1b9405b878..472676484f 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -168,5 +168,6 @@
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11",
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/src/ape/_cli.py b/src/ape/_cli.py
index 4d604ab61e..3e6b548540 100644
--- a/src/ape/_cli.py
+++ b/src/ape/_cli.py
@@ -121,7 +121,14 @@ def commands(self) -> Dict:
         if self._commands:
             return self._commands
 
-        eps: Iterable = entry_points().get(self._CLI_GROUP_NAME, [])
+        # Update when dropping Python 3.9 support.
+        _entry_points = entry_points()
+        eps: Iterable = (
+            _entry_points.get(self._CLI_GROUP_NAME, [])
+            if isinstance(_entry_points, dict)
+            else entry_points(group=self._CLI_GROUP_NAME)
+        )
+
         self._commands = {clean_plugin_name(cmd.name): cmd.load for cmd in eps}
         return self._commands
 
diff --git a/src/ape/api/projects.py b/src/ape/api/projects.py
index 1ace30d142..2689079fb8 100644
--- a/src/ape/api/projects.py
+++ b/src/ape/api/projects.py
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ def cached_manifest(self) -> Optional[PackageManifest]:
 
     @property
     def contracts(self) -> Dict[str, ContractType]:
-        if self._contracts is not None:
-            return self._contracts
+        if contracts := self._contracts:
+            return contracts
 
         contracts = {}
         for p in self._cache_folder.glob("*.json"):
diff --git a/src/ape/managers/project/manager.py b/src/ape/managers/project/manager.py
index b8eecf878d..fdf33daa9b 100644
--- a/src/ape/managers/project/manager.py
+++ b/src/ape/managers/project/manager.py
@@ -468,10 +468,10 @@ def contracts(self) -> Dict[str, ContractType]:
         Returns:
             Dict[str, ``ContractType``]
         """
-        if self.local_project.cached_manifest is None:
-            return self.load_contracts()
+        if self.local_project.cached_manifest and (contracts := self.local_project.contracts):
+            return contracts
 
-        return self.local_project.contracts
+        return self.load_contracts()
 
     def __getattr__(self, attr_name: str) -> Any:
         """
diff --git a/tests/functional/conftest.py b/tests/functional/conftest.py
index fd9b0bb466..c16da27b34 100644
--- a/tests/functional/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/functional/conftest.py
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import threading
 import time
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-from distutils.dir_util import copy_tree
 from pathlib import Path
+from shutil import copytree
 from typing import Optional, cast
 
 import pytest
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ def ds_note_test_contract(eth_tester_provider, vyper_contract_type, owner, get_c
 @pytest.fixture
 def project_with_contract(temp_config):
     with temp_config() as project:
-        copy_tree(str(APE_PROJECT_FOLDER), str(project.path))
+        copytree(str(APE_PROJECT_FOLDER), str(project.path), dirs_exist_ok=True)
         project.local_project._cached_manifest = None  # Clean manifest
         yield project
 
@@ -318,8 +318,8 @@ def project_with_source_files_contract(temp_config):
     project_source_dir = APE_PROJECT_FOLDER
 
     with temp_config() as project:
-        copy_tree(str(project_source_dir), str(project.path))
-        copy_tree(str(bases_source_dir), f"{project.path}/contracts/")
+        copytree(str(project_source_dir), str(project.path), dirs_exist_ok=True)
+        copytree(str(bases_source_dir), f"{project.path}/contracts/", dirs_exist_ok=True)
         yield project