diff --git a/.github/workflows/joule-code-conformance.yml b/.github/workflows/joule-code-conformance.yml
index cb21ac84c..486b6590d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/joule-code-conformance.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/joule-code-conformance.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Rust
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
         with:
-          toolchain: "1.96.0"
+          toolchain: "1.97.1"
 
       - name: Cache cargo
         uses: actions/cache@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/jouleclaw-public-surface-documented.yml b/.github/workflows/jouleclaw-public-surface-documented.yml
index 733c7f90f..b28525891 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/jouleclaw-public-surface-documented.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/jouleclaw-public-surface-documented.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Rust toolchain (workspace pin)
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
         with:
-          toolchain: "1.96"
+          toolchain: "1.97.1"
 
       - name: Cache cargo registry + target
         uses: actions/cache@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wai-byte-equality.yml b/.github/workflows/wai-byte-equality.yml
index 37a38eaad..221bb8841 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wai-byte-equality.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wai-byte-equality.yml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Rust
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@master
         with:
-          toolchain: 1.96.0
+          toolchain: 1.97.1
 
       - name: Decode fixtures, assert golden bytes
         working-directory: wai/byte-exact-conformance
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wai-conformance.yml b/.github/workflows/wai-conformance.yml
index 645f3856e..69ee73aef 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wai-conformance.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wai-conformance.yml
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ jobs:
         os: [ubuntu-latest, ubuntu-24.04-arm, macos-latest, windows-latest]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
-      - name: Rust 1.96.0
-        run: rustup toolchain install 1.96.0 --profile minimal && rustup default 1.96.0
+      - name: Rust 1.97.1
+        run: rustup toolchain install 1.97.1 --profile minimal && rustup default 1.97.1
       - name: Build the cargo classes (pure Rust, no C codec chain)
         working-directory: wai/wai-rs
         # neural_int joins the pure-Rust set: the integer-synthesis decoder is
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ jobs:
         os: [ubuntu-latest, ubuntu-24.04-arm, macos-latest, windows-latest]
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
-      - name: Rust 1.96.0
-        run: rustup toolchain install 1.96.0 --profile minimal && rustup default 1.96.0
+      - name: Rust 1.97.1
+        run: rustup toolchain install 1.97.1 --profile minimal && rustup default 1.97.1
       - name: Integer rANS + int_synth + JPEG-AI mANS goldens (one machine → every machine)
         working-directory: wai/byte-exact-conformance
         run: cargo test --release
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wai-neural-e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/wai-neural-e2e.yml
index edeaa8008..5ae44c1d8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wai-neural-e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wai-neural-e2e.yml
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build the synthetic fixtures (elic / mlicpp / snac / dcvc / glc)
         working-directory: wai
         run: python tools/wai_validate_synthetic.py --size 256
-      - name: Rust 1.96.0
-        run: rustup toolchain install 1.96.0 --profile minimal && rustup default 1.96.0
+      - name: Rust 1.97.1
+        run: rustup toolchain install 1.97.1 --profile minimal && rustup default 1.97.1
       - name: Each Rust decoder reproduces its reference end-to-end
         working-directory: wai/wai-rs
         # --no-default-features: the neural decoders need only `ort`, NOT the C
diff --git a/eoc/eoc-rs/rust-toolchain.toml b/eoc/eoc-rs/rust-toolchain.toml
index d58c37bd7..8184c97fe 100644
--- a/eoc/eoc-rs/rust-toolchain.toml
+++ b/eoc/eoc-rs/rust-toolchain.toml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 [toolchain]
-channel    = "1.96.0"
+channel    = "1.97.1"
 components = ["rustc", "cargo", "rust-std", "rustfmt", "clippy"]
 profile    = "default"
diff --git a/rust-toolchain.toml b/rust-toolchain.toml
index d58c37bd7..8184c97fe 100644
--- a/rust-toolchain.toml
+++ b/rust-toolchain.toml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 [toolchain]
-channel    = "1.96.0"
+channel    = "1.97.1"
 components = ["rustc", "cargo", "rust-std", "rustfmt", "clippy"]
 profile    = "default"