diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-unit-vizro-core.yml b/.github/workflows/test-unit-vizro-core.yml
index 3ca2025c4..80bede91d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-unit-vizro-core.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-unit-vizro-core.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         python-version: ["3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11"]
+        include:
+          - python-version: "3.11"
+            lower-bounds: true
 
+        # write matrix out manually with var for hatch env
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
@@ -38,6 +42,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Hatch
         run: pip install --upgrade hatch
 
+      - if: matrix.lower-bounds
+        name: Activate hatch environment
+        run: hatch -e lower-bounds shell
+
+
       - name: List dependencies
         run: hatch run all.py${{ matrix.python-version }}:pip freeze
 
diff --git a/vizro-core/hatch.toml b/vizro-core/hatch.toml
index de38c7c8c..bff378b78 100644
--- a/vizro-core/hatch.toml
+++ b/vizro-core/hatch.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ matrix.python.features = [
   {value = "kedro", if = ["3.8", "3.9", "3.10"]}
 ]
 
+[envs.lower-bounds]
+extra-dependencies = ["pydantic==2.5.0"]
+
 [envs.changelog]
 dependencies = ["scriv"]
 detached = true