diff --git a/lib/utils.pm b/lib/utils.pm
index 397d253a..95be62ab 100644
--- a/lib/utils.pm
+++ b/lib/utils.pm
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use Exporter;
 use feature "switch";
 use lockapi;
 use testapi;
-our @EXPORT = qw/run_with_error_check type_safely type_very_safely desktop_vt boot_to_login_screen console_login console_switch_layout desktop_switch_layout console_loadkeys_us do_bootloader boot_decrypt check_release menu_launch_type repo_setup setup_workaround_repo cleanup_workaround_repo console_initial_setup handle_welcome_screen gnome_initial_setup anaconda_create_user check_desktop download_modularity_tests quit_firefox advisory_get_installed_packages advisory_check_nonmatching_packages start_with_launcher quit_with_shortcut lo_dismiss_tip disable_firefox_studies select_rescue_mode copy_devcdrom_as_isofile get_release_number get_code_name check_left_bar check_top_bar check_prerelease check_version spell_version_number _assert_and_click is_branched rec_log click_unwanted_notifications repos_mirrorlist register_application get_registered_applications solidify_wallpaper/;
+our @EXPORT = qw/run_with_error_check type_safely type_very_safely desktop_vt boot_to_login_screen console_login console_switch_layout desktop_switch_layout console_loadkeys_us do_bootloader boot_decrypt check_release menu_launch_type repo_setup setup_workaround_repo cleanup_workaround_repo console_initial_setup handle_welcome_screen gnome_initial_setup anaconda_create_user check_desktop download_modularity_tests quit_firefox advisory_get_installed_packages advisory_check_nonmatching_packages start_with_launcher quit_with_shortcut lo_dismiss_tip disable_firefox_studies select_rescue_mode copy_devcdrom_as_isofile get_release_number get_version_major get_code_name check_left_bar check_top_bar check_prerelease check_version spell_version_number _assert_and_click is_branched rec_log click_unwanted_notifications repos_mirrorlist register_application get_registered_applications solidify_wallpaper/;
 
 # We introduce this global variable to hold the list of applications that have
 # registered during the apps_startstop_test when they have sucessfully run.
@@ -63,12 +63,18 @@ sub get_release_number {
     return $version
 }
 
+sub get_version_major {
+  my $version = get_var('VERSION');
+  my $version_major = substr($version, 0, index($version, q/./));
+  return $version_major
+}
+
 sub get_code_name {
     my $code_name = 'Green Obsidian';
     my $version = get_var('VERSION');
-    my $ver_major = substr($version, 0, index($version, q/./));
+    my $version_major = get_version_major;
 
-    given($ver_major){
+    given($version_major){
         when ('9') {  $code_name = 'Blue Onyx'; }
         when ('10') {  $code_name = 'Smoky Quartz'; }
         when ('11') {  $code_name = 'Lavender Calcite'; }
@@ -605,7 +611,8 @@ sub _repo_setup_updates {
         assert_script_run 'printf "[advisory]\nname=Advisory repo\nbaseurl=file:///opt/update_repo\nenabled=1\nmetadata_expire=3600\ngpgcheck=0" > /etc/yum.repos.d/advisory.repo';
         # run an update now (except for upgrade tests)
         my $relnum = get_release_number;
-        if ($relnum > 33) {
+        my $version_major = get_version_major;
+        if (($relnum > 33) || ($version_major > 8)) {
             # FIXME workaround https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1931034
             # drop after https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/18915 is merged
             # and stable
@@ -953,7 +960,8 @@ sub start_with_launcher {
             # but only after we hit 'down' twice to get into it.
             # On F32 and earlier, it just scrolls vertically
             my $relnum = get_release_number;
-            if ($relnum > 32) {
+            my $version_major = get_version_major;
+            if (($relnum > 32) || ($version_major > 8)) {
                 send_key 'down';
                 send_key 'down';
                 send_key_until_needlematch($launcher, 'right', 5, 6);
diff --git a/tests/_graphical_input.pm b/tests/_graphical_input.pm
index a7a3af74..e16317f1 100644
--- a/tests/_graphical_input.pm
+++ b/tests/_graphical_input.pm
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ use utils;
 
 sub run {
     my $relnum = get_release_number;
-    if (get_var("LANGUAGE") eq 'japanese' && $relnum > 33) {
+    my $version_major = get_version_major;
+    if (get_var("LANGUAGE") eq 'japanese' && (($relnum > 33) || ($version_major > 8))) {
         # since g-i-s new user mode was dropped and the replacement
         # doesn't do input method selection, and anaconda never has,
         # we have to set up the input method manually:
diff --git a/tests/_graphical_wait_login.pm b/tests/_graphical_wait_login.pm
index 2a4e53bc..bacb10bb 100644
--- a/tests/_graphical_wait_login.pm
+++ b/tests/_graphical_wait_login.pm
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ sub run {
         # GDM 3.24.1 dumps a cursor in the middle of the screen here...
         mouse_hide;
         if (get_var("DESKTOP") eq 'gnome') {
-            if ($version eq '9.0') {
+            if (get_version_major() > 8) {
                 send_key_until_needlematch("graphical_login_test_user_highlighted", "tab", 5);
                 assert_screen "graphical_login_test_user_highlighted";
             }
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ sub run {
         send_key "ret";
     }
 
+    # Welcome tour is here...
+
     # For GNOME, handle initial-setup or welcome tour, unless START_AFTER_TEST
     # is set in which case it will have been done already. Always
     # do it if ADVISORY_OR_TASK is set, as for the update testing flow,
@@ -102,7 +104,8 @@ sub run {
         # we might be on the INSTALL_NO_USER flow, check whether
         # this happened already
         my $relnum = get_release_number;
-        if ($relnum < 34) {
+        my $version_major = get_version_major();
+        if (($relnum < 34) || ($version_major < 9)) {
             # before GNOME 40 (F34), we get a per-user version of
             # gnome-initial-setup here...
             gnome_initial_setup() unless (get_var("_setup_done"));
@@ -112,7 +115,7 @@ sub run {
             handle_welcome_screen unless (get_var("_welcome_done"));
         }
     }
-    if ($version eq '9.0') {
+    if (get_version_major() > 8) {
         handle_welcome_screen unless (get_var("_welcome_done"));
     }
     if (get_var("DESKTOP") eq 'gnome' && get_var("INSTALL_NO_USER")) {
diff --git a/tests/desktop_login.pm b/tests/desktop_login.pm
index 205bc67d..b0b5431e 100644
--- a/tests/desktop_login.pm
+++ b/tests/desktop_login.pm
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ sub reboot_system {
         click_lastmatch;
         if (match_has_tag("power_entry")) {
             my $relnum = get_release_number;
-            if ($desktop eq "gnome" && $relnum < 33) {
+            my $version_major = get_version_major;
+            if ($desktop eq "gnome" && (($relnum < 33) || ($version_major < 9))) {
                 # In GNOME before F33, some of the entries are brought together, while
                 # in KDE and GNOME from F33 onwards they are split and it does not seem
                 # correct to me to assign restarting tags to needles powering off the
diff --git a/tests/desktop_notifications.pm b/tests/desktop_notifications.pm
index 5b4a6d84..39d4d3e5 100644
--- a/tests/desktop_notifications.pm
+++ b/tests/desktop_notifications.pm
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ sub run {
     my $self = shift;
     my $desktop = get_var("DESKTOP");
     my $relnum = get_release_number;
+    my $version_major = get_version_major;
     # for the live image case, handle bootloader here
     if (get_var("BOOTFROM")) {
         do_bootloader(postinstall=>1, params=>'3');
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ sub run {
         }
     }
     if (get_var("BOOTFROM")) {
-        if ($desktop eq 'kde' && $relnum > 33) {
+        if ($desktop eq 'kde' && (($relnum > 33) || ($version_major > 8))) {
             # there is not always a permanent notification in F34+,
             # if we don't see one, check we saw the transient one
             # earlier. FIXME: maybe drop the 'transient' path here
diff --git a/tests/desktop_terminal.pm b/tests/desktop_terminal.pm
index 3d5e52a8..845b68c0 100644
--- a/tests/desktop_terminal.pm
+++ b/tests/desktop_terminal.pm
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ use utils;
 sub run {
     my $self = shift;
     my $relnum = get_release_number;
+    my $version_major = get_version_major;
     my $desktop = get_var("DESKTOP");
     check_desktop;
     menu_launch_type('terminal');
     assert_screen "apps_run_terminal";
     # FIXME: workaround for RHBZ#1957858 - test actually works without
     # this, but very slowly as characters don't appear on screen
-    send_key "super-pgup" if ($relnum > 33 && $desktop eq "kde");
+    send_key "super-pgup" if ((($version_major > 8) || ($relnum > 33)) && $desktop eq "kde");
     wait_still_screen 5;
     # need to be root
     my $rootpass = get_var("ROOT_PASSWORD", "weakpassword");
diff --git a/tests/desktop_update_graphical.pm b/tests/desktop_update_graphical.pm
index b9cf95a2..e44546d0 100644
--- a/tests/desktop_update_graphical.pm
+++ b/tests/desktop_update_graphical.pm
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ sub run {
     my $self = shift;
     my $desktop = get_var('DESKTOP');
     my $relnum = get_release_number;
+    my $version_major = get_version_major;
     # use a tty console for repo config and package prep
     $self->root_console(tty=>3);
     assert_script_run 'dnf config-manager --set-disabled updates-testing';
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ sub run {
     if ($desktop eq 'kde') {
         # KDE team tells me until F34 the 'preferred' update method
         # was the systray applet...
-        if ($relnum < 34) {
+        if (($relnum < 34) || ($version_major < 9)) {
             # get rid of notifications which get in the way of the things
             # we need to click
             click_unwanted_notifications;
diff --git a/tests/freeipa_password_change.pm b/tests/freeipa_password_change.pm
index 6aeebcfb..6a35b769 100644
--- a/tests/freeipa_password_change.pm
+++ b/tests/freeipa_password_change.pm
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ sub run {
     # The next box we need to type into was moved in FreeIPA 4.8.9,
     # which is in F32+ but not F31
     my $relnum = get_release_number;
-    $relnum < 32 ? type_safely "\t\t" : type_safely "\t";
+    my $version_major = get_version_major;
+    (($relnum < 32) || ($version_major < 9)) ? type_safely "\t\t" : type_safely "\t";
     type_safely "loremipsum";
     wait_screen_change { send_key "tab"; };
     type_safely "loremipsum";
diff --git a/tests/install_text.pm b/tests/install_text.pm
index f86ba721..d458a35d 100644
--- a/tests/install_text.pm
+++ b/tests/install_text.pm
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ sub run {
     console_type_wait("3\n"); # set username
     console_type_wait("$username\n");
     # from Rawhide-20190503.n.0 (F31) onwards, 'use password' is default
-    if (get_release_number() < 31 && lc(get_var('DISTRI')) ne "rocky") {
+    if ((get_release_number() < 31) || (get_version_major() < 9)) {
         # typing "4\n" on abrt screen causes system to reboot, so be careful
         run_with_error_check(sub {console_type_wait("4\n")}, $error); # use password
     }