diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
index 4071b3a..05b7d54 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit-tests.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest]
-        rust: [1.48.0, stable, beta, nightly]
+        rust: [1.56.1, stable, beta, nightly]
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ec4749f..c8c4e03 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@ To build without Git support, run `cargo install --no-default-features exa` is a
 <a id="development">
 <h1>Development
 
-<a href="https://blog.rust-lang.org/2020/08/03/Rust-1.45.2.html">
-    <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/rustc-1.45.2+-lightgray.svg" alt="Rust 1.45.2+" />
+<a href="https://blog.rust-lang.org/2021/11/01/Rust-1.56.1.html">
+    <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/rustc-1.56.1+-lightgray.svg" alt="Rust 1.56.1+" />
 </a>
 
 <a href="https://github.com/ogham/exa/blob/master/LICENCE">
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ To build without Git support, run `cargo install --no-default-features exa` is a
 </h1></a>
 
 exa is written in [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/).
-You will need rustc version 1.45.2 or higher.
+You will need rustc version 1.56.1 or higher.
 The recommended way to install Rust for development is from the [official download page](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install), using rustup.
 
 Once Rust is installed, you can compile exa with Cargo:
diff --git a/rust-toolchain.toml b/rust-toolchain.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..071aaaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust-toolchain.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[toolchain]
+channel = "1.56.1"