diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 67a72bd7a2..82b59d4ce7 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ARG NODE_VERSION=22
 ARG NODE_IMAGE=public.ecr.aws/docker/library/node:${NODE_VERSION}-slim
-ARG GEL_IMAGE=ghcr.io/geldata/gel:6.4
+ARG GEL_IMAGE=ghcr.io/geldata/gel:6.8
 
 FROM ${NODE_IMAGE} AS base-runtime
 
diff --git a/dbschema/migrations/00023-m1gur4j.edgeql b/dbschema/migrations/00023-m1gur4j.edgeql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c5a1ad7aad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dbschema/migrations/00023-m1gur4j.edgeql
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+CREATE MIGRATION m1rgcov4cvwz6cct475bg4236373bwpc4piydlw5ytakm5fyn7g2eq
+    ONTO m1xp5mbrgbcsdkvhimirvlj2hueu7m7aeyowjcp3wl4itrzityln4q
+{
+  ALTER TYPE default::Project {
+    CREATE LINK primaryPartnership := (
+      select Partnership
+      filter Partnership.primary and Partnership.project = __source__
+      limit 1
+    );
+    ALTER PROPERTY departmentId {
+      DROP REWRITE INSERT, UPDATE;
+      CREATE REWRITE INSERT, UPDATE USING ((
+        IF (
+          (NOT (EXISTS (.departmentId))
+          AND (.status <= Project::Status.Active))
+          AND (.step >= Project::Step.PendingFinanceConfirmation)
+        ) THEN (
+          WITH block := (
+            IF (__subject__ IS default::MultiplicationTranslationProject)
+            THEN (
+              WITH primaryPartnership := std::assert_exists(__subject__.primaryPartnership, message := 'Project must have a primary partnership'),
+              SELECT std::assert_exists(primaryPartnership.partner.departmentIdBlock, message := 'Available Department IDs have not been declared')
+            )
+            ELSE (std::assert_exists((std::assert_exists(__subject__.primaryLocation, message := 'Project must have a primary location')).fundingAccount, message := "Project's primary location must have a funding account")).departmentIdBlock)
+          SELECT std::assert_exists(block.nextAvailable, message := 'No department ID is available')
+        ) ELSE .departmentId
+      ));
+    };
+  };
+};
diff --git a/dbschema/project.gel b/dbschema/project.gel
index 37de95d5d2..cf5c8abf3f 100644
--- a/dbschema/project.gel
+++ b/dbschema/project.gel
@@ -30,15 +30,16 @@ module default {
           .step >= Project::Step.PendingFinanceConfirmation
         ) then ((
           with block := (
-            if __subject__ is MultiplicationTranslationProject then (
-              assert_exists(
-                assert_exists(
-                  (select __subject__.partnerships filter .primary).partner,
-                  message := "Project must have a primary partnership"
-                ).departmentIdBlock,
+            if __subject__ is MultiplicationTranslationProject then ((
+              with primaryPartnership := assert_exists(
+                __subject__.primaryPartnership,
+                message := "Project must have a primary partnership"
+              )
+              select assert_exists(
+                primaryPartnership.partner.departmentIdBlock,
                 message := "Available Department IDs have not been declared"
               )
-            ) else (
+            )) else (
               assert_exists(
                 assert_exists(
                   __subject__.primaryLocation,
@@ -102,6 +103,13 @@ module default {
     link rootDirectory: Directory;
     
     partnerships := .<project[is Partnership];
+    primaryPartnership := (
+      # avoiding backlink here because of partial path resolution bug
+      # https://github.com/geldata/gel/issues/8633
+      select Partnership
+      filter Partnership.primary and Partnership.project = __source__
+      limit 1
+    );
     
     overloaded link projectContext: Project::Context {
       default := (insert Project::Context {
diff --git a/gel.toml b/gel.toml
index 4788b97c1f..3cd5c268be 100644
--- a/gel.toml
+++ b/gel.toml
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 [instance]
-server-version = "=6.4"
+server-version = "=6.8"