diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index e1ea66ff..63ce8470 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-build --copt='-std=c++17' --linkopt='-L/usr/local/lib'
-
+common --cxxopt=-std=c++17
+common --registry=file:///home/dev-user/code/bazel-central-registry
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0727dffc..509a2744 100755
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,4 +3,7 @@
 *.*~
 
 build/
-install/
\ No newline at end of file
+install/
+
+bazel-*
+MODULE.bazel.lock
diff --git a/BUILD.bazel b/BUILD.bazel
index 5e4db202..aa121484 100644
--- a/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/BUILD.bazel
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 cc_library(
     name = "modern-cpp-kafka-api",
-
-    hdrs = glob(["include/kafka/*.h", "include/kafka/addons/*.h"]),
-
+    hdrs = glob([
+        "include/kafka/*.h",
+        "include/kafka/addons/*.h",
+    ]),
     includes = ["include"],
-
     linkopts = ["-lpthread"],
-
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+    deps = [
+        "@rapidjson",
+        "@librdkafka",
+    ],
 )
-
diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d474b8ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+module(name = "modern-cpp-kafka")
+
+bazel_dep(name = "boost.algorithm", version = "1.87.0")
+bazel_dep(name = "googletest", version = "1.16.0", repo_name = "gtest")
+bazel_dep(name = "librdkafka", version = "2.8.0.bcr.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rapidjson", version = "1.1.0.bcr.20241007")
+
+# USE_BAZEL_VERSION=7.x bazel shutdown && USE_BAZEL_VERSION=7.x bazel --nosystem_rc --nohome_rc test --announce_rc --verbose_failures --sandbox_debug --test_output=all -- //tests:kafka-unit-test
diff --git a/tests/BUILD.bazel b/tests/BUILD.bazel
index 5e1ccfaf..fcb779e0 100644
--- a/tests/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/tests/BUILD.bazel
@@ -1,52 +1,47 @@
 cc_test(
     name = "kafka-unit-test",
-
-    srcs = glob(["unit/*.cc", "utils/*.h"]),
-
-    deps = ["//:modern-cpp-kafka-api",
-            "@gtest//:gtest",
-            "@gtest//:gtest_main",
-            "@rapidjson//:rapidjson"],
-
-    linkopts = ["-lrdkafka"],
-
-    timeout = "short",
-
-    tags = ["unit"],
+    srcs = glob([
+        "unit/*.cc",
+        "utils/*.h",
+    ]),
+    deps = [
+        "//:modern-cpp-kafka-api",
+        "@boost.algorithm",
+        "@gtest",
+        "@gtest//:gtest_main",
+    ],
 )
 
-
 cc_test(
     name = "kafka-integration-test",
-
-    srcs = glob(["integration/*.cc", "utils/*.h"]),
-
-    deps = ["//:modern-cpp-kafka-api",
-            "@gtest//:gtest",
-            "@gtest//:gtest_main"],
-
-    linkopts = ["-lrdkafka"],
-
     timeout = "long",
+    srcs = glob([
+        "integration/*.cc",
+        "utils/*.h",
+    ]),
+    linkopts = ["-lrdkafka"],
     shard_count = 8,
-
     tags = ["integration"],
+    deps = [
+        "//:modern-cpp-kafka-api",
+        "@gtest",
+        "@gtest//:gtest_main",
+    ],
 )
 
 cc_test(
     name = "kafka-robustness-test",
-
-    srcs = glob(["robustness/*.cc", "utils/*.h"]),
-
-    deps = ["//:modern-cpp-kafka-api",
-            "@gtest//:gtest",
-            "@gtest//:gtest_main"],
-
-    linkopts = ["-lrdkafka"],
-
     timeout = "long",
+    srcs = glob([
+        "robustness/*.cc",
+        "utils/*.h",
+    ]),
+    linkopts = ["-lrdkafka"],
     shard_count = 1,
-
     tags = ["robustness"],
+    deps = [
+        "//:modern-cpp-kafka-api",
+        "@gtest",
+        "@gtest//:gtest_main",
+    ],
 )
-