diff --git a/.github/WORKFLOW_TASKS/issue-1-test-infrastructure-pytest-configuration.md b/.github/WORKFLOW_TASKS/issue-1-test-infrastructure-pytest-configuration.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..264a664
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/WORKFLOW_TASKS/issue-1-test-infrastructure-pytest-configuration.md
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# Issue 1: [Test Infrastructure] Configure pytest and pytest-asyncio in `pyproject.toml`
+
+**Status:** Implemented on branch `chore/configure-pytest`. Configuration and installation checks pass; full-suite verification remains blocked by the pre-existing Issue 2 regression test. No Issue 2 code changes were made, and work stops here pending Issue 2 approval.
+
+## Summary
+
+Move the test-runner configuration and async test dependency into the project metadata so local development and CI use the same declared setup.
+
+## Context
+
+- `pyproject.toml` currently declares only `build`, `wheel`, and `setuptools`-related development tooling; it does not declare `pytest` or `pytest-asyncio`.
+- The GitHub Actions workflow installs `pytest` and `flake8` directly in `.github/workflows/python-package.yml`.
+- `tests/test_dpm_task_context.py` imports `pytest` and exercises asyncio behavior, but is currently written around a manually managed event loop rather than `pytest-asyncio` fixtures/markers.
+- The package supports Python `>=3.9.21`; CI should cover Python 3.9 through 3.13, including the AlmaLinux 9.6 baseline (`3.9.21`).
+
+## Scope
+
+- Add the required test dependencies and pytest configuration in `pyproject.toml`.
+- Decide and document the appropriate `pytest-asyncio` mode and async-test conventions for this repository.
+- Align CI installation with the declared development/test dependencies where appropriate.
+- Do not change production behavior as part of this issue.
+
+## Acceptance criteria
+
+- A clean development environment can install the declared test tooling from the project configuration.
+- `pytest` discovers and runs the repository test suite without requiring ad hoc test-runner installation beyond the documented development install.
+- Async tests have an explicit, consistent configuration and do not depend on implicit event-loop behavior.
+- CI continues to run the test suite across the supported Python versions, with dependency compatibility verified.
+- The resulting configuration is documented sufficiently for contributors to run the same checks locally.
+
+## Verification
+
+- Clean virtual environment: `pip install -e ".[dev]"` succeeded and installed `pytest`, `pytest-asyncio`, `build`, and `wheel` from the project metadata.
+- Async configuration smoke test: passed with `asyncio_mode = "auto"`.
+- Pytest collection: passed (`1 test collected`).
+- Full `python -m pytest -q`: blocked by the existing `tests/test_dpm_task_context.py` expectation; it fails because the test does not raise the Issue 2 `RuntimeError` under the current Python 3.13 runtime.
+- Python 3.9 dependency resolution: passed using compatible `pytest`/`pytest-asyncio` releases.
+- Python 3.8 was removed from the CI matrix because the project minimum is Python `3.9.21` and AlmaLinux is now on Python 3.9.
+- Wheel build: passed after installing the declared build backend dependencies; only pre-existing setuptools license deprecation warnings were emitted.
+- No production package dependency was added solely for test infrastructure.
+
+## Dependencies and risks
+
+- This issue should be completed before relying on `pytest-asyncio`-specific tests for Issues 2 or 3.
+- `pytest-asyncio` compatibility with the repository's Python-version matrix must be checked before selecting a version constraint.
+- CI currently uses `continue-on-error: true` for pytest; whether that policy should change is an explicit follow-up decision, not an assumed part of this issue.
+
+## Review focus
+
+- Whether the dependency belongs in the existing `dev` optional-dependency group or a newly named test group.
+- Whether the chosen async mode and event-loop scope are explicit and compatible with the test suite.
+- Whether local and CI installation paths remain consistent.
+
+## Out of scope
+
+- Fixing the `DPM.replies()` timeout failure (Issue 2).
+- Refactoring `set_many()` synchronization (Issue 3).
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
index 0ea1b57..e98da22 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: ["3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12", "3.13"]
+        python-version: ["3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12", "3.13"]
         os: ["ubuntu-latest"]
         # This weird hack allows us to use the matrix notation
         # but do a special run for the legacy Python and OS.
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: |
         python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-        python -m pip install flake8 pytest
+        python -m pip install -e ".[dev]" flake8
     - name: Lint with flake8
       run: |
         # stop the build if there are Python syntax errors or undefined names
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 8f4b851..34493cf 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -29,7 +29,13 @@ settings = [
 dev = [
     "build",
     "wheel",
+    "pytest>=8.2,<9",
+    "pytest-asyncio>=0.23,<2",
 ]
 
+[tool.pytest.ini_options]
+asyncio_mode = "auto"
+testpaths = ["tests"]
+
 [tool.setuptools-git-versioning]
 enabled = true