diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 522df865bf..000e61dac3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ jobs:
           - name: sanitizers
             cmake_opts: -DUSE_ASAN=On -DUSE_UBSAN=On -DUSE_BUNDLED_DEPS=False
     container:
-      image: debian:buster
+      image: debian:bookworm
     steps:
       - name: Install deps ⛓️
         run: |
diff --git a/CMakeListsGtestInclude.cmake b/CMakeListsGtestInclude.cmake
deleted file mode 100644
index 01f6e5ed26..0000000000
--- a/CMakeListsGtestInclude.cmake
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-#
-# Copyright (C) 2023 The Falco Authors.
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-#
-
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.12)
-
-project(googletest-download NONE)
-
-include(ExternalProject)
-ExternalProject_Add(googletest
-  GIT_REPOSITORY    https://github.com/google/googletest.git
-  GIT_TAG           "release-1.12.1"
-  SOURCE_DIR        "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/googletest-src"
-  BINARY_DIR        "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/googletest-build"
-  CONFIGURE_COMMAND ""
-  BUILD_COMMAND     ""
-  INSTALL_COMMAND   ""
-  UPDATE_COMMAND    ""
-  TEST_COMMAND      ""
-)
diff --git a/cmake/modules/gtest.cmake b/cmake/modules/gtest.cmake
index a94ed62828..272609e9cb 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/gtest.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/gtest.cmake
@@ -14,48 +14,15 @@
 
 option(USE_BUNDLED_GTEST "Enable building of the bundled gtest" ${USE_BUNDLED_DEPS})
 
-if(GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR)
-	# we already have gtest
-elseif(NOT USE_BUNDLED_GTEST)
-	find_path(GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR PATH_SUFFIXES gtest NAMES gtest.h)
-	find_library(GTEST_LIB NAMES gtest)
-	find_library(GTEST_MAIN_LIB NAMES gtest_main)
-	if(GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR AND GTEST_LIB AND GTEST_MAIN_LIB)
-		message(STATUS "Found gtest: include: ${GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR}, lib: ${GTEST_LIB}, main lib: ${GTEST_MAIN_LIB}")
-	else()
-		message(FATAL_ERROR "Couldn't find system gtest")
-	endif()
+if(USE_BUNDLED_GTEST)
+	include(FetchContent)
+	FetchContent_Declare(googletest
+		URL https://github.com/google/googletest/archive/refs/tags/release-1.12.1.tar.gz
+		URL_HASH SHA256=81964fe578e9bd7c94dfdb09c8e4d6e6759e19967e397dbea48d1c10e45d0df2
+	)
+	# For Windows: Prevent overriding the parent project's compiler/linker settings
+	set(gtest_force_shared_crt ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+	FetchContent_MakeAvailable(googletest)
 else()
-	# https://github.com/google/googletest/tree/main/googletest#incorporating-into-an-existing-cmake-project
-	# Download and unpack googletest at configure time
-	configure_file(CMakeListsGtestInclude.cmake ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/googletest-download/CMakeLists.txt)
-	execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -G "${CMAKE_GENERATOR}" .
-		RESULT_VARIABLE result
-		WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/googletest-download )
-	if(result)
-		message(FATAL_ERROR "CMake step for googletest failed: ${result}")
-	endif()
-	execute_process(COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} --build .
-		RESULT_VARIABLE result
-		WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/googletest-download )
-	if(result)
-		message(FATAL_ERROR "Build step for googletest failed: ${result}")
-	endif()
-
-	# Add googletest directly to our build. This defines
-	# the gtest and gtest_main targets.
-	add_subdirectory(${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/googletest-src
-					 ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/googletest-build
-					 EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
-
-	set(GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR "${gtest_SOURCE_DIR}/include")
-	set(GTEST_MAIN_LIB "gtest_main")
-	install(DIRECTORY "${GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR}" DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}/${LIBS_PACKAGE_NAME}"
-			COMPONENT "libs-deps")
+	find_package(GTest REQUIRED)
 endif()
-
-if(NOT TARGET gtest)
-	add_custom_target(gtest)
-endif()
-
-include_directories("${GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR}")
diff --git a/test/drivers/CMakeLists.txt b/test/drivers/CMakeLists.txt
index a8ae4ad41a..a9350158e8 100644
--- a/test/drivers/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/drivers/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,36 +20,6 @@ file(GLOB_RECURSE ACTIONS_TEST_SUITE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/test_suites/act
 
 include(libscap)
 
-set(DRIVERS_TEST_SOURCES
-  ./start_tests.cpp
-  ./event_class/event_class.cpp
-  ./flags/capabilities.cpp
-  ./helpers/proc_parsing.cpp
-  ./helpers/file_opener.cpp
-  "${SYSCALL_EXIT_TEST_SUITE}"
-  "${SYSCALL_ENTER_TEST_SUITE}"
-  "${GENERIC_TRACEPOINTS_TEST_SUITE}"
-  "${ACTIONS_TEST_SUITE}"
-)
-
-set(DRIVERS_TEST_INCLUDE
-  PRIVATE
-  "${GTEST_INCLUDE}"
-  "${LIBS_DIR}/driver/"
-  "${LIBSCAP_INCLUDE_DIRS}"
-)
-
-set(DRIVERS_TEST_LINK_LIBRARIES
-  scap
-  "${GTEST_LIB}"
-  "${GTEST_MAIN_LIB}"
-)
-
-set(DRIVERS_TEST_DEPENDECIES
-        scap
-        gtest
-)
-
 ## IA32 tests are only available on x86_64
 if(${CMAKE_HOST_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR} STREQUAL "x86_64" AND ENABLE_IA32_TESTS)
     add_executable(ia32 ./helpers/ia32.c)
@@ -63,7 +33,25 @@ endif()
 
 add_compile_options(${FALCOSECURITY_LIBS_USERSPACE_COMPILE_FLAGS})
 add_link_options(${FALCOSECURITY_LIBS_USERSPACE_LINK_FLAGS})
-add_executable(drivers_test ${DRIVERS_TEST_SOURCES})
-target_include_directories(drivers_test ${DRIVERS_TEST_INCLUDE})
-target_link_libraries(drivers_test ${DRIVERS_TEST_LINK_LIBRARIES})
-add_dependencies(drivers_test ${DRIVERS_TEST_DEPENDECIES})
+
+add_executable(drivers_test
+    start_tests.cpp
+    event_class/event_class.cpp
+    flags/capabilities.cpp
+    helpers/proc_parsing.cpp
+    helpers/file_opener.cpp
+    ${SYSCALL_EXIT_TEST_SUITE}
+    ${SYSCALL_ENTER_TEST_SUITE}
+    ${GENERIC_TRACEPOINTS_TEST_SUITE}
+    ${ACTIONS_TEST_SUITE}
+)
+target_include_directories(drivers_test
+PRIVATE
+    ${LIBS_DIR}/driver
+    ${LIBSCAP_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+)
+target_link_libraries(drivers_test
+    scap
+    GTest::gtest
+    GTest::gtest_main
+)
diff --git a/test/e2e/containers/sinsp.Dockerfile b/test/e2e/containers/sinsp.Dockerfile
index a08966c221..a46d0d5753 100644
--- a/test/e2e/containers/sinsp.Dockerfile
+++ b/test/e2e/containers/sinsp.Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM debian:buster
+FROM debian:bookworm
 
 ENV HOST_ROOT /host
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/containers/tests.Dockerfile b/test/e2e/containers/tests.Dockerfile
index 0d316e0de2..abcc8f048c 100644
--- a/test/e2e/containers/tests.Dockerfile
+++ b/test/e2e/containers/tests.Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM debian:buster
+FROM debian:bookworm
 
 WORKDIR /tests
 ENV CONTAINERIZED=1
diff --git a/test/libscap/CMakeLists.txt b/test/libscap/CMakeLists.txt
index e88603ebd0..1a2d055818 100644
--- a/test/libscap/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/libscap/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ configure_file (
 
 set(LIBSCAP_TESTS_INCLUDE
   PRIVATE
-  "${GTEST_INCLUDE}"
   "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}" # for test helpers <helpers/...>
   "${LIBS_DIR}"
   "${LIBS_DIR}/userspace"
@@ -38,18 +37,13 @@ set(LIBSCAP_TESTS_INCLUDE
   "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}" # used to include `libscap_test_var.h`
 )
 
-# Needed by gtest
-find_package(Threads)
-
 set(LIBSCAP_TESTS_LIBRARIES
-	"${GTEST_LIB}"
-	"${GTEST_MAIN_LIB}"
-	"${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT}"
 	scap
+	GTest::gtest
+	GTest::gtest_main
 )
 
 set(LIBSCAP_TESTS_DEPENDENCIES
-	gtest
 	scap
 )
 
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/test/CMakeLists.txt b/userspace/libsinsp/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 06ccdf475e..78f6bbb39e 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@ target_include_directories(unit-test-libsinsp
 
 target_link_libraries(unit-test-libsinsp
 	sinsp
-	"${GTEST_LIB}"
-	"${GTEST_MAIN_LIB}"
+	GTest::gtest
+	GTest::gtest_main
 	"${TBB_LIB}"
 	"${JSONCPP_LIB}"
 )