diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 4fb40386fe49577f70ffae54a3a69e0da8f2fb1c..cf06950c36db8d6c593e5ac3d213c017cb82c2e7 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ variables: &variables
   CXXFLAGS: "-g -O2 -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fstack-protector-strong -Wall -Wdate-time -Wextra -Wformat=2"
   DEBIAN_FRONTEND: "noninteractive"
   DOCTEST_GIT_REPOSITORY: "https://github.com/gnu-octave/octave-doctest.git"
-  DOCTEST_GIT_TAG: "v0.8.0"
+  DOCTEST_GIT_TAG: "v0.8.1"
   DOCTEST_ROOT: "/tmp/doctest"
   LIBSSL_DEV: "libssl-dev"
   PYENV_GIT_REPOSITORY: "https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv.git"
@@ -140,9 +140,13 @@ python3.13:
     PYTHON_VERSION_FULL: "3.13.7"
   extends: .test:pyenv
 
-# Expected to fail, Issue #136
-python3.11-octave9.4.0:
-  extends: python3.11
+python3.13-octave10.2.0:
+  extends: python3.13
+  image: gnuoctave/octave:10.2.0
+  allow_failure: true
+
+python3.12-octave9.4.0:
+  extends: python3.12
   image: gnuoctave/octave:9.4.0
   allow_failure: true
 
@@ -282,7 +286,9 @@ macos_tests:
     - brew --version
     - brew install gnu-sed
     - brew info octave
-    - brew install octave@8.4.0
+    # note as of 2025-09 octave@8.4.0 pinning doesn't work
+    # so we're sort of at the wim of HomeBrew what Octave we get
+    - brew install octave
   script:
     - gcc --version
     - clang --version
diff --git a/inst/@pyobject/subsref.m b/inst/@pyobject/subsref.m
index 13b6a9ba092df67a58f21275f7b89f3f4c0dcfb0..bd9b0ae8339f54e907a33abc2b3cc3e4d7d43db9 100644
--- a/inst/@pyobject/subsref.m
+++ b/inst/@pyobject/subsref.m
@@ -118,6 +118,17 @@ function varargout = subsref (x, idx)
   elseif (nargout == 1)
     varargout{1} = r;
   elseif (nargout >= 2)
+    % Octave bug https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?67506 means x{"string"}
+    % erroneously sets nargout = length("string").  Try to workaround...
+    if (t.type == "{}" && compare_versions (ver ("Octave").Version, "9.0.0", ">="))
+      % TODO: hopefully fixed for 11
+      % && compare_versions (ver ("Octave").Version, "11.0.0", "<")
+      if (isa (t.subs{1}, 'char') && nargout == length (t.subs{1}))
+        % in this special special case, we assume one argument (won't always be right!)
+        varargout{1} = r;
+        return
+      end
+    end
     assert (length (r) == nargout, ...
             "pyobject/subsref: number of outputs must match")
     [varargout{1:nargout}] = subsref (r, struct ("type", "{}", "subs", {{1:nargout}}));