diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index eaf5afd..8522b67 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ end
 source 'https://rubygems.org'
 
 if next?
-  gem 'rails', '5.1.7'
+  gem 'rails', '5.2.8.1'
 else
   gem 'rails', '5.1.7'
 end
diff --git a/Gemfile.next.lock b/Gemfile.next.lock
index 1a4b785..1928233 100644
--- a/Gemfile.next.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.next.lock
@@ -12,46 +12,50 @@ GIT
 GEM
   remote: https://rubygems.org/
   specs:
-    actioncable (5.1.7)
-      actionpack (= 5.1.7)
+    actioncable (5.2.8.1)
+      actionpack (= 5.2.8.1)
       nio4r (~> 2.0)
-      websocket-driver (~> 0.6.1)
-    actionmailer (5.1.7)
-      actionpack (= 5.1.7)
-      actionview (= 5.1.7)
-      activejob (= 5.1.7)
+      websocket-driver (>= 0.6.1)
+    actionmailer (5.2.8.1)
+      actionpack (= 5.2.8.1)
+      actionview (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activejob (= 5.2.8.1)
       mail (~> 2.5, >= 2.5.4)
       rails-dom-testing (~> 2.0)
-    actionpack (5.1.7)
-      actionview (= 5.1.7)
-      activesupport (= 5.1.7)
-      rack (~> 2.0)
+    actionpack (5.2.8.1)
+      actionview (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activesupport (= 5.2.8.1)
+      rack (~> 2.0, >= 2.0.8)
       rack-test (>= 0.6.3)
       rails-dom-testing (~> 2.0)
       rails-html-sanitizer (~> 1.0, >= 1.0.2)
-    actionview (5.1.7)
-      activesupport (= 5.1.7)
+    actionview (5.2.8.1)
+      activesupport (= 5.2.8.1)
       builder (~> 3.1)
       erubi (~> 1.4)
       rails-dom-testing (~> 2.0)
       rails-html-sanitizer (~> 1.0, >= 1.0.3)
-    activejob (5.1.7)
-      activesupport (= 5.1.7)
+    activejob (5.2.8.1)
+      activesupport (= 5.2.8.1)
       globalid (>= 0.3.6)
-    activemodel (5.1.7)
-      activesupport (= 5.1.7)
-    activerecord (5.1.7)
-      activemodel (= 5.1.7)
-      activesupport (= 5.1.7)
-      arel (~> 8.0)
-    activesupport (5.1.7)
+    activemodel (5.2.8.1)
+      activesupport (= 5.2.8.1)
+    activerecord (5.2.8.1)
+      activemodel (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activesupport (= 5.2.8.1)
+      arel (>= 9.0)
+    activestorage (5.2.8.1)
+      actionpack (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activerecord (= 5.2.8.1)
+      marcel (~> 1.0.0)
+    activesupport (5.2.8.1)
       concurrent-ruby (~> 1.0, >= 1.0.2)
       i18n (>= 0.7, < 2)
       minitest (~> 5.1)
       tzinfo (~> 1.1)
     addressable (2.8.7)
       public_suffix (>= 2.0.2, < 7.0)
-    arel (8.0.0)
+    arel (9.0.0)
     aws-sdk (2.3.23)
       aws-sdk-resources (= 2.3.23)
     aws-sdk-core (2.3.23)
@@ -59,13 +63,12 @@ GEM
     aws-sdk-resources (2.3.23)
       aws-sdk-core (= 2.3.23)
     base64 (0.2.0)
-    benchmark-ips (2.13.0)
+    benchmark-ips (2.14.0)
     bigdecimal (3.1.8)
     builder (3.3.0)
     codeclimate-test-reporter (0.6.0)
       simplecov (>= 0.7.1, < 1.0.0)
     coderay (1.1.3)
-    colorize (1.1.0)
     concurrent-ruby (1.3.4)
     congestion (0.1.0)
       connection_pool (>= 2.0)
@@ -78,8 +81,6 @@ GEM
     date (3.3.4)
     diff-lcs (1.5.1)
     docile (1.1.5)
-    domain_name (0.5.20190701)
-      unf (>= 0.0.5, < 1.0.0)
     erubi (1.13.0)
     et-orbi (1.2.11)
       tzinfo
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ GEM
     factory_bot_rails (5.2.0)
       factory_bot (~> 5.2.0)
       railties (>= 4.2.0)
-    faraday (1.10.3)
+    faraday (1.10.4)
       faraday-em_http (~> 1.0)
       faraday-em_synchrony (~> 1.0)
       faraday-excon (~> 1.1)
@@ -111,11 +112,11 @@ GEM
     faraday-patron (1.0.0)
     faraday-rack (1.0.0)
     faraday-retry (1.0.3)
-    faraday_middleware (1.2.0)
+    faraday_middleware (1.2.1)
       faraday (~> 1.0)
     ffi (1.16.3)
     formatador (1.1.0)
-    fugit (1.11.0)
+    fugit (1.11.1)
       et-orbi (~> 1, >= 1.2.11)
       raabro (~> 1.4)
     globalid (1.1.0)
@@ -136,10 +137,7 @@ GEM
       rspec (>= 2.99.0, < 4.0)
     hashdiff (1.1.1)
     honeybadger (4.5.6)
-    http-accept (1.7.0)
-    http-cookie (1.0.6)
-      domain_name (~> 0.5)
-    i18n (1.14.5)
+    i18n (1.14.6)
       concurrent-ruby (~> 1.0)
     its-it (1.3.0)
     jmespath (1.6.2)
@@ -180,13 +178,11 @@ GEM
       net-imap
       net-pop
       net-smtp
+    marcel (1.0.4)
     method_source (1.1.0)
-    mime-types (3.5.2)
-      mime-types-data (~> 3.2015)
-    mime-types-data (3.2024.0806)
     mini_mime (1.1.5)
     mini_portile2 (2.8.7)
-    minitest (5.24.1)
+    minitest (5.25.1)
     mock_redis (0.36.0)
       ruby2_keywords
     modware (0.1.3)
@@ -202,8 +198,7 @@ GEM
       timeout
     net-smtp (0.5.0)
       net-protocol
-    netrc (0.11.0)
-    newrelic_rpm (9.12.0)
+    newrelic_rpm (9.14.0)
     nio4r (2.7.3)
     nokogiri (1.13.10)
       mini_portile2 (~> 2.8.0)
@@ -216,13 +211,13 @@ GEM
       coderay (~> 1.1)
       method_source (~> 1.0)
     public_suffix (5.1.1)
-    puma (6.4.2)
+    puma (6.4.3)
       nio4r (~> 2.0)
     pundit (1.1.0)
       activesupport (>= 3.0.0)
     raabro (1.4.0)
     racc (1.8.1)
-    rack (2.2.9)
+    rack (2.2.10)
     rack-cors (1.0.6)
       rack (>= 1.6.0)
     rack-protection (3.2.0)
@@ -230,17 +225,18 @@ GEM
       rack (~> 2.2, >= 2.2.4)
     rack-test (2.1.0)
       rack (>= 1.3)
-    rails (5.1.7)
-      actioncable (= 5.1.7)
-      actionmailer (= 5.1.7)
-      actionpack (= 5.1.7)
-      actionview (= 5.1.7)
-      activejob (= 5.1.7)
-      activemodel (= 5.1.7)
-      activerecord (= 5.1.7)
-      activesupport (= 5.1.7)
+    rails (5.2.8.1)
+      actioncable (= 5.2.8.1)
+      actionmailer (= 5.2.8.1)
+      actionpack (= 5.2.8.1)
+      actionview (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activejob (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activemodel (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activerecord (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activestorage (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activesupport (= 5.2.8.1)
       bundler (>= 1.3.0)
-      railties (= 5.1.7)
+      railties (= 5.2.8.1)
       sprockets-rails (>= 2.0.0)
     rails-dom-testing (2.2.0)
       activesupport (>= 5.0.0)
@@ -248,12 +244,13 @@ GEM
       nokogiri (>= 1.6)
     rails-html-sanitizer (1.5.0)
       loofah (~> 2.19, >= 2.19.1)
-    railties (5.1.7)
-      actionpack (= 5.1.7)
-      activesupport (= 5.1.7)
+    railties (5.2.8.1)
+      actionpack (= 5.2.8.1)
+      activesupport (= 5.2.8.1)
       method_source
       rake (>= 0.8.7)
-      thor (>= 0.18.1, < 2.0)
+      thor (>= 0.19.0, < 2.0)
+    rainbow (3.0.0)
     rake (13.2.1)
     rb-fsevent (0.11.2)
     rb-inotify (0.11.1)
@@ -261,26 +258,20 @@ GEM
     redis (3.3.5)
     request_store (1.7.0)
       rack (>= 1.4)
-    rest-client (2.1.0)
-      http-accept (>= 1.7.0, < 2.0)
-      http-cookie (>= 1.0.2, < 2.0)
-      mime-types (>= 1.16, < 4.0)
-      netrc (~> 0.8)
-    rexml (3.3.5)
-      strscan
+    rexml (3.3.8)
     rspec (3.13.0)
       rspec-core (~> 3.13.0)
       rspec-expectations (~> 3.13.0)
       rspec-mocks (~> 3.13.0)
-    rspec-core (3.13.0)
+    rspec-core (3.13.2)
       rspec-support (~> 3.13.0)
-    rspec-expectations (3.13.1)
+    rspec-expectations (3.13.3)
       diff-lcs (>= 1.2.0, < 2.0)
       rspec-support (~> 3.13.0)
     rspec-its (1.3.0)
       rspec-core (>= 3.0.0)
       rspec-expectations (>= 3.0.0)
-    rspec-mocks (3.13.1)
+    rspec-mocks (3.13.2)
       diff-lcs (>= 1.2.0, < 2.0)
       rspec-support (~> 3.13.0)
     rspec-rails (4.1.2)
@@ -332,30 +323,24 @@ GEM
     sprockets (4.2.1)
       concurrent-ruby (~> 1.0)
       rack (>= 2.2.4, < 4)
-    sprockets-rails (3.2.2)
-      actionpack (>= 4.0)
-      activesupport (>= 4.0)
+    sprockets-rails (3.4.2)
+      actionpack (>= 5.2)
+      activesupport (>= 5.2)
       sprockets (>= 3.0.0)
-    strscan (3.1.0)
-    ten_years_rails (0.2.0)
-      actionview
-      activesupport
-      colorize (>= 0.8.1)
-      rest-client (>= 2.0.2)
-    thor (1.3.1)
+    ten_years_rails (1.0.2)
+      actionview (~> 5.2.3)
+      rainbow (~> 3.0.0)
+    thor (1.3.2)
     thread_safe (0.3.6)
     timecop (0.9.10)
     timeout (0.4.1)
     tzinfo (1.2.11)
       thread_safe (~> 0.1)
-    unf (0.1.4)
-      unf_ext
-    unf_ext (0.0.9.1)
-    webmock (3.23.1)
+    webmock (3.24.0)
       addressable (>= 2.8.0)
       crack (>= 0.3.2)
       hashdiff (>= 0.4.0, < 2.0.0)
-    websocket-driver (0.6.5)
+    websocket-driver (0.7.6)
       websocket-extensions (>= 0.1.0)
     websocket-extensions (0.1.5)
     zoo_stream (1.0.1)
@@ -385,7 +370,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   puma
   pundit (~> 1.1.0)
   rack-cors (~> 1.0.5)
-  rails (= 5.1.7)
+  rails (= 5.2.8.1)
   redis (~> 3.3.0)
   restpack_serializer!
   rspec-its
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 77bfffc..00c4e64 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -1,3 +1,27 @@
 require File.expand_path('../config/application', __FILE__)
 
 Rails.application.load_tasks
+
+# In Rails 5.2 the `load_config` task was made dependent on `environment`
+# to enable credentials reading, see https://github.com/rails/rails/pull/31135
+# This causes the whole app to initialize before `db:create` and that
+# causes a database connection for observers, sphinx, concerns, etc, that cant be established
+# when DB does not exist yet.
+# See SO: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/72147515/rails-5-2-load-order-breaks-dbcreate
+# While clearing the environment prerequisite of load_config will help db:create
+# and create the db, other tasks like db:schema:load and our panoptes talk rake tasks
+# will actually need the prereq, and therefore we bring back the environment prereq
+# for other rake tasks. We do this to keep our CI test workflows and local dev environment setup functional.
+
+Rake::Task['db:load_config'].prerequisites.delete("environment")
+Rake::Task.tasks.select { |task|
+  next if task.name == "db:create"
+  task.name.start_with?("db:") && task.prerequisites.include?("load_config")
+}.each { |task|
+  task.prerequisites.insert(task.prerequisites.index("load_config"), "environment")
+}
+Rake::Task.tasks.select { |task|
+    task.prerequisites.include?("db:load_config")
+}.each { |task|
+  task.prerequisites.insert(task.prerequisites.index("db:load_config"), "environment")
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/models/project.rb b/app/models/project.rb
index 9556e7d..8e6cbeb 100644
--- a/app/models/project.rb
+++ b/app/models/project.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 class Project < ApplicationRecord
+  self.primary_key = :id
   has_many :boards
 
   alias_attribute :title, :display_name
diff --git a/app/models/subject.rb b/app/models/subject.rb
index 8b26f1c..c8da9cc 100644
--- a/app/models/subject.rb
+++ b/app/models/subject.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 class Subject < ApplicationRecord
+  self.primary_key = :id
   include Focusable
   belongs_to :project
 end
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index b3061c3..a879142 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 class User < ApplicationRecord
+  self.primary_key = :id
   include Moderatable
 
   ALLOWED_LOGIN_CHARACTERS = '\w\-\.'.freeze
diff --git a/spec/models/announcement_spec.rb b/spec/models/announcement_spec.rb
index 6f5c7d6..681aac4 100644
--- a/spec/models/announcement_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/announcement_spec.rb
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@
   end
 
   context 'creating' do
-    let(:announcement){ create :announcement }
+    let(:announcement){ build :announcement }
     it 'should publish' do
       expect(AnnouncementWorker).to receive :perform_async
-      announcement.run_callbacks :commit
+      announcement.save!
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/models/notification_spec.rb b/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
index 01edc2b..8d1419a 100644
--- a/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/notification_spec.rb
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@
   end
 
   context 'creating' do
-    let(:notification){ create :notification }
+    let(:notification){ build :notification }
     it 'should publish' do
       expect(NotificationWorker).to receive :perform_async
-      notification.run_callbacks :commit
+      notification.save!
     end
   end