diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 64c6c975..1e37bda1 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ variables:
   # Ubuntu packages
   UBUNTU_DEPS:
     meson build-essential valac desktop-file-utils gettext iso-codes
-    itstool libappstream-glib-dev libenchant-dev libfolks-dev
+    itstool libappstream-glib-dev libenchant-2-dev libfolks-dev
     libgcr-3-dev libgee-0.8-dev libglib2.0-dev libgmime-3.0-dev
     libgoa-1.0-dev libgspell-1-dev libgtk-3-dev libhandy-0.0-dev
     libjson-glib-dev libmessaging-menu-dev libpeas-dev libsecret-1-dev
diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index 3bb721fb..d1994357 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -54,11 +54,12 @@ Install them by running this command:
 
     sudo apt-get install meson build-essential valac \
         desktop-file-utils iso-codes gettext itstool \
-        libappstream-glib-dev libenchant-dev libfolks-dev libgcr-3-dev \
-        libgee-0.8-dev libglib2.0-dev libgmime3.0-dev libgoa-1.0-dev \
-        libgspell-1-dev libgtk-3-dev libjson-glib-dev libhandy-0.0-dev \
-        libpeas-dev libsecret-1-dev libsqlite3-dev libunwind-dev \
-        libwebkit2gtk-4.0-dev libxml2-dev libytnef0-dev
+        libappstream-glib-dev libenchant-2-dev libfolks-dev \
+        libgcr-3-dev libgee-0.8-dev libglib2.0-dev libgmime3.0-dev \
+        libgoa-1.0-dev libgspell-1-dev libgtk-3-dev libjson-glib-dev \
+        libhandy-0.0-dev libpeas-dev libsecret-1-dev libsqlite3-dev \
+        libunwind-dev libwebkit2gtk-4.0-dev libxml2-dev \
+        libytnef0-dev
 
 And for Ubuntu Messaging Menu integration:
 
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index c21b4623..43a46c1b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -51,10 +51,15 @@ valac = meson.get_compiler('vala')
 # Required libraries and other dependencies
 #
 
+target_vala = '0.42'
 target_glib = '2.60.4'
 target_gtk = '3.24.7'
 target_webkit = '2.26'
 
+if not valac.version().version_compare('>=' + target_vala)
+  error('Vala does not meet minimum required version: ' + target_vala)
+endif
+
 # Primary deps
 glib = dependency('glib-2.0', version: '>=' + target_glib)
 gmime = dependency('gmime-3.0', version: '>= 3.2.4')
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ webkit2gtk = dependency('webkit2gtk-4.0', version: '>=' + target_webkit)
 # We need appdata.its from appstream-glib:
 # https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/issues/439
 appstream_glib = dependency('appstream-glib', version: '>=0.7.10')
-enchant = dependency('enchant-2', version: '>=2.1', required: false) # see below
+enchant = dependency('enchant-2', version: '>=2.1')
 folks = dependency('folks', version: '>=0.11')
 gck = dependency('gck-1')
 gcr = dependency('gcr-3', version: '>= 3.10.1')
@@ -95,11 +100,6 @@ libytnef = dependency('libytnef', version: '>= 1.9.3', required: get_option('tne
 posix = valac.find_library('posix')
 webkit2gtk_web_extension = dependency('webkit2gtk-web-extension-4.0', version: '>=' + target_webkit)
 
-# Can currently use either Enchant 1 or 2
-if not enchant.found()
-  enchant = dependency('enchant', version: '>=1.6')
-endif
-
 # Libunwind system dependencies above ensures appropriate versions,
 # but this declared depencency is what we actually build against so we
 # can include the custom VAPI correctly. We need to add unwind_lib to
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 244c3699..47f95b2f 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ configure_file(output: 'config.h', configuration: conf)
 
 # Common valac options
 geary_vala_args = [
+  '--abi-stability',
   '--enable-checking',
 ]