diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs.yml b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
index d47a1308..efef6f75 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ on:
 jobs:
   build:
     name: Documentation
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # https://github.com/python-ldap/python-ldap/blob/main/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
 
     env:
       TOXENV: docs
@@ -15,11 +16,9 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Install LDAP libs
         run: |
-          sudo apt-get update
-          # https://www.python-ldap.org/en/latest/installing.html#debian
-          sudo apt-get install slapd ldap-utils libldap2-dev libsasl2-dev
-          # https://github.com/python-ldap/python-ldap/issues/370
-          sudo apt-get install apparmor-utils
+          sudo apt update
+          # https://github.com/python-ldap/python-ldap/blob/main/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+          sudo apt install -y ldap-utils slapd enchant-2 libldap2-dev libsasl2-dev apparmor-utils
           sudo aa-disable /usr/sbin/slapd
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 6c71ffd6..d40e59e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -7,14 +7,14 @@ on:
 jobs:
   test:
     name: Python ${{ matrix.python-version }} / ${{ matrix.tox-environment }}
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # https://github.com/python-ldap/python-ldap/blob/main/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/faq/install/#what-python-version-can-i-use-with-django
         python-version:
-          - '3.8'
           - '3.9'
           - '3.10'
           - '3.11'
@@ -25,10 +25,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install LDAP libs
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update
-          # https://www.python-ldap.org/en/latest/installing.html#debian
-          sudo apt-get install slapd ldap-utils libldap2-dev libsasl2-dev
-          # https://github.com/python-ldap/python-ldap/issues/370
-          sudo apt-get install apparmor-utils
+          # https://github.com/python-ldap/python-ldap/blob/main/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+          sudo apt install -y ldap-utils slapd enchant-2 libldap2-dev libsasl2-dev apparmor-utils
           sudo aa-disable /usr/sbin/slapd
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.readthedocs.yml b/.readthedocs.yml
index 2646802c..0c6dba53 100644
--- a/.readthedocs.yml
+++ b/.readthedocs.yml
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ build:
 python:
   install:
     - requirements: docs/requirements.txt
+sphinx:
+  configuration: docs/conf.py
diff --git a/django_auth_ldap/backend.py b/django_auth_ldap/backend.py
index c63b6cec..513810f8 100644
--- a/django_auth_ldap/backend.py
+++ b/django_auth_ldap/backend.py
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
 import django.dispatch
 import ldap
 from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
-from django.contrib.auth.models import Group, Permission
 from django.core.cache import cache
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured, ObjectDoesNotExist
 
@@ -643,12 +642,12 @@ def _get_or_create_user(self, force_populate=False):
                     "user does not satisfy AUTH_LDAP_NO_NEW_USERS"
                 )
 
-            logger.debug("Creating Django user %s", username)
+            logger.info("Creating Django user %s", username)
             self._user.set_unusable_password()
             save_user = True
 
         if should_populate:
-            logger.debug("Populating Django user %s", username)
+            logger.info("Populating Django user %s", username)
             self._populate_user()
             save_user = True
 
@@ -777,8 +776,12 @@ def _mirror_groups(self):
         Mirrors the user's LDAP groups in the Django database and updates the
         user's membership.
         """
+        from django.contrib.auth.models import Group
+
         try:
-            target_group_names = frozenset(self._get_groups().get_group_names())
+            target_group_names = frozenset(
+                filter(None, self._get_groups().get_group_names())
+            )
         except ldap.LDAPError as e:
             _report_error(
                 type(self.backend),
@@ -833,6 +836,8 @@ def _load_group_permissions(self):
         Populates self._group_permissions based on LDAP group membership and
         Django group permissions.
         """
+        from django.contrib.auth.models import Permission
+
         group_names = self._get_groups().get_group_names()
 
         perms = Permission.objects.filter(group__name__in=group_names)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 3b4a52b4..b026a43b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "django-auth-ldap"
-requires-python = ">=3.8"
+requires-python = ">=3.9"
 description = "Django LDAP authentication backend"
 readme = "README.rst"
 authors = [
@@ -15,15 +15,14 @@ classifiers = [
     "Environment :: Web Environment",
     "Framework :: Django",
     "Framework :: Django :: 4.2",
-    "Framework :: Django :: 5.0",
     "Framework :: Django :: 5.1",
+    "Framework :: Django :: 5.2",
     "Intended Audience :: Developers",
     "Intended Audience :: System Administrators",
     "License :: OSI Approved :: BSD License",
     "Programming Language :: Python",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only",
-    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11",
diff --git a/tests/import_test_without_django.py b/tests/import_test_without_django.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0fbdc9b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/import_test_without_django.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import os
+from unittest import TestCase
+
+
+class TestLoading(TestCase):
+    def test_django_not_ready(self):
+        orig_env = os.environ.copy()
+
+        def reset_env():
+            os.environ = orig_env
+
+        self.addCleanup(reset_env)
+
+        os.environ["DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE"] = "tests.settings"
+
+        import django_auth_ldap.backend  # noqa: F401
diff --git a/tests/tests.py b/tests/tests.py
index 41cb3735..9c148966 100644
--- a/tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/tests.py
@@ -582,8 +582,8 @@ def test_populate_user_with_missing_attribute(self):
             [(log.levelname, log.msg, log.args) for log in logs.records],
             [
                 ("DEBUG", "Binding as %s", (dn,)),
-                ("DEBUG", "Creating Django user %s", ("alice",)),
-                ("DEBUG", "Populating Django user %s", ("alice",)),
+                ("INFO", "Creating Django user %s", ("alice",)),
+                ("INFO", "Populating Django user %s", ("alice",)),
                 ("DEBUG", "Binding as %s", ("",)),
                 (
                     "DEBUG",
@@ -1343,8 +1343,32 @@ def test_group_mirroring(self):
 
         alice = authenticate(username="alice", password="password")
 
-        self.assertEqual(Group.objects.count(), 3)
-        self.assertEqual(set(alice.groups.all()), set(Group.objects.all()))
+        groups = set(Group.objects.all())
+        self.assertEqual(
+            {g.name for g in groups},
+            {"active_px", "staff_px", "superuser_px"},
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(set(alice.groups.all()), groups)
+
+    def test_group_mirroring_custom_grouptype(self):
+        self._init_settings(
+            USER_DN_TEMPLATE="uid=%(user)s,ou=people,o=test",
+            GROUP_SEARCH=LDAPSearch(
+                "ou=groups,o=test", ldap.SCOPE_SUBTREE, "(objectClass=posixGroup)"
+            ),
+            GROUP_TYPE=CustomGroupType(),
+            MIRROR_GROUPS=True,
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(Group.objects.count(), 0)
+
+        alice = authenticate(username="alice", password="password")
+        groups = set(Group.objects.all())
+        self.assertEqual(
+            {g.name for g in groups},
+            {"active_px", "staff_px"},
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(set(alice.groups.all()), groups)
 
     def test_nested_group_mirroring(self):
         self._init_settings(
@@ -1821,3 +1845,12 @@ def _init_groups(self):
 
         active_nis = Group.objects.create(name="active_nis")
         active_nis.permissions.add(*permissions)
+
+
+class CustomGroupType(PosixGroupType):
+    def group_name_from_info(self, group_info):
+        name = super().group_name_from_info(group_info)
+        if name.startswith("superuser"):
+            name = None
+
+        return name
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 87ffa51a..20a5fe84 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -3,26 +3,27 @@ envlist =
     ruff
     docs
     django42
-    django50
     django51
+    django52
     djangomain
 isolated_build = true
 
 [gh]
 python =
-    3.8 = django42
     3.9 = django42
-    3.10 = django{42,50,51,main}
-    3.11 = django{42,50,51,main}
-    3.12 = django{42,50,51,main}
-    3.13 = django{42,50,51,main}
+    3.10 = django{42,51,52}
+    3.11 = django{42,51,52}
+    3.12 = django{42,51,52,main}
+    3.13 = django{42,51,52,main}
 
 [testenv]
-commands = {envpython} -Wa -b -m django test --settings tests.settings
+commands =
+    {envpython} -Wa -b -m django test --settings tests.settings
+    {envpython} -Wa -b -m unittest discover --pattern *_test_without_django.py
 deps =
     django42: Django>=4.2,<4.3
-    django50: Django>=5.0,<5.1
     django51: Django>=5.1b1,<5.2
+    django52: Django>=5.2,<6.0
     djangomain: https://github.com/django/django/archive/main.tar.gz
 
 [testenv:ruff]

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