diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8c22d8c..450e27e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # 2.x branch
 ## 2.12 branch
+### 2.12.3
+* updated for `php-tools` 1.8.
+
 ### 2.12.2
 * improved and fixed a bug for `ExportCommand` and `ImportCommand`, in handling some exceptions;
 * it no longer needs the `me-tools` package. This removes several (useless) dependencies;
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index fe04f0d..cc51c60 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
         "php": ">=7.4.0",
         "ext-fileinfo": "*",
         "cakephp/cakephp": "^4.0",
-        "mirko-pagliai/php-tools": "~1.7.4"
+        "mirko-pagliai/php-tools": "^1.7.4"
     },
     "require-dev": {
         "cakephp/cakephp-codesniffer": "^4.4",
diff --git a/phpcs.xml.dist b/phpcs.xml.dist
index b17f7aa..4e33e24 100644
--- a/phpcs.xml.dist
+++ b/phpcs.xml.dist
@@ -4,8 +4,4 @@
     <file>.</file>
 
     <rule ref="./vendor/mirko-pagliai/php-tools/sniffer-ruleset.xml"/>
-
-    <rule ref="SlevomatCodingStandard.Namespaces.UseFromSameNamespace.UseFromSameNamespace">
-        <severity>0</severity>
-    </rule>
 </ruleset>
diff --git a/src/Utility/AbstractBackupUtility.php b/src/Utility/AbstractBackupUtility.php
index c75995e..dbfe467 100644
--- a/src/Utility/AbstractBackupUtility.php
+++ b/src/Utility/AbstractBackupUtility.php
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public function __get(string $name)
             throw new LogicException('Undefined property: ' . get_class($class) . '::$' . $name);
         }
 
-        return $this->$name;
+        return $this->{$name};
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/version b/version
index 371a952..ccc99d0 100644
--- a/version
+++ b/version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.12.2
+2.12.3