diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 17bd614f..48ced9fb 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
 
+# EKAT requires C++20
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
+
 set (EKAT_CMAKE_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake CACHE INTERNAL "")
 
 # Do not ignore <PackageName_ROOT> env vars in find_package() calls
@@ -86,6 +89,13 @@ if (EKAT_ENABLE_MPI)
   set(EKAT_MPI_THREAD_FLAG "" CACHE STRING "The mpirun flag for designating the number of threads")
 endif()
 
+##############################
+###  KOKKOS CONFIG OPTIONS ###
+##############################
+# FIXME: View usage in Hommexx and EAMxx needs to allow for Kokkos' MDSpan view implementation as the legacy
+#        implementation will go away in the future, unnanounced (it's an "impl" option => no deprecation).
+option (Kokkos_ENABLE_IMPL_VIEW_LEGACY "Currently, EKAT is only compatible with Kokkos' legacy view implementation." ON)
+
 ############################################
 ###  COMPILER/OS-SPECIFIC CONFIG OPTIONS ###
 ############################################
diff --git a/cacts.yaml b/cacts.yaml
index c676a4b6..99c5caed 100644
--- a/cacts.yaml
+++ b/cacts.yaml
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ configurations:
     uses_baselines: False
     on_by_default: True
     cmake_args:
-      CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD: 20
       EKAT_ENABLE_ALL_PACKAGES: True
       EKAT_TEST_THREAD_INC: ${2 if machine.gpu_arch is None else 1}
       EKAT_TEST_MAX_THREADS: ${machine.num_run_res if machine.gpu_arch is None else 1}
diff --git a/cmake/EkatSetCompilerFlags.cmake b/cmake/EkatSetCompilerFlags.cmake
index 68b09f06..fe94fa7e 100644
--- a/cmake/EkatSetCompilerFlags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/EkatSetCompilerFlags.cmake
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ endmacro()
 #############################
 macro (SetGeneralFlags)
   if (CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "Intel" OR CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "IntelLLVM")
-    SetFlags (FFLAGS "-assume byterecl -ftz" CXXFLAGS -restrict)
+    SetFlags (FFLAGS "-assume byterecl -ftz")
   elseif (CMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "GNU")
     SetFlags (FFLAGS -ffree-line-length-none)
   endif()
diff --git a/extern/kokkos b/extern/kokkos
index 6a19eb94..297e1825 160000
--- a/extern/kokkos
+++ b/extern/kokkos
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 6a19eb9454da490dbf785443d8f021028baeb161
+Subproject commit 297e182502896611ccc699b4935d1bcc703293c9
diff --git a/extern/spdlog b/extern/spdlog
index bdd1dff3..472945ba 160000
--- a/extern/spdlog
+++ b/extern/spdlog
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit bdd1dff3788ebfe520f48f9ad216c60da6dd8f00
+Subproject commit 472945ba489e3f5684761affc431ae532ab5ed8c
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 6e969021..edd83db3 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -59,9 +59,6 @@ add_library(ekat_core
   ekat_test_utils.cpp
 )
 
-# EKAT requires c++17 features
-target_compile_features(ekat_core PUBLIC cxx_std_17)
-
 # Add the correct ekat::Comm impl file, depending on whether MPI is ON/OFF.
 if (EKAT_ENABLE_MPI)
   target_sources(ekat_core PRIVATE ekat_comm.cpp)
diff --git a/src/kokkos/ekat_kokkos_meta.hpp b/src/kokkos/ekat_kokkos_meta.hpp
index b112743b..44cef0a8 100644
--- a/src/kokkos/ekat_kokkos_meta.hpp
+++ b/src/kokkos/ekat_kokkos_meta.hpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ struct MemoryTraitsMask {
 template <typename View>
 using Unmanaged =
   // Provide a full View type specification, augmented with Unmanaged.
-  Kokkos::View<typename View::traits::scalar_array_type,
+  Kokkos::View<typename View::traits::data_type,
                typename View::traits::array_layout,
                typename View::traits::device_type,
                Kokkos::MemoryTraits<