diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ace460
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+version: 2
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
+    directory: "/"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "weekly"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 2b15438..f85fbb8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ jobs:
   examples:
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        os: [macos-latest, ubuntu-latest]
+        os: [macos-latest, ubuntu-22.04]
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
       - name: install Ubuntu packages
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ jobs:
             portaudio
           )
           brew install ${PACKAGES[@]}
+          echo "CPPFLAGS=-I/opt/homebrew/include" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "LDFLAGS=-L/opt/homebrew/lib" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
       - name: checkout APF source code
         uses: actions/checkout@v2
       - name: run unit tests
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pd-externals.yml b/.github/workflows/pd-externals.yml
index e85bde0..e6a44bf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pd-externals.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pd-externals.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           make install DESTDIR=build PDLIBDIR=
       - name: upload Linux externals
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: linux-externals
           path: apf/examples/pure-data/build/*
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           make install DESTDIR=build PDLIBDIR=
       - name: upload macOS externals
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: macos-externals
           path: apf/examples/pure-data/build/*
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           make install DESTDIR=build PDLIBDIR=
       - name: upload Windows externals
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: windows-externals
           path: apf/examples/pure-data/build/*
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           deken package -v $(git describe --tags --always) --objects examples/pure-data/objects.txt apf_example
       - name: Upload deken package
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
           name: Deken package
           path: "*.dek*"
diff --git a/examples/Makefile b/examples/Makefile
index c43f6ca..f39ddc8 100644
--- a/examples/Makefile
+++ b/examples/Makefile
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ mex-double: mex
 .PHONY: mex mex-double
 
 %.mex: %.cpp
-	CXXFLAGS="$(CXXFLAGS)" mkoctfile --mex $< $(CPPFLAGS)
+	CXXFLAGS="$(CXXFLAGS)" mkoctfile --mex $< $(CPPFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS)
 	$(RM) $*.o
 
 clean: clean-mex