diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 1635bdd2a..c6e611a82 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -19,12 +19,15 @@ jobs:
             fail-fast: false
             matrix:
                 include:
-                    - {os: windows-latest, python: "3.11", dask-version: "2025.12.0", name: "Dask 2025.12.0"}
-                    - {os: windows-latest, python: "3.13", dask-version: "latest", name: "Dask latest"}
-                    - {os: ubuntu-latest, python: "3.11", dask-version: "latest", name: "Dask latest"}
-                    - {os: ubuntu-latest, python: "3.13", dask-version: "latest", name: "Dask latest"}
-                    - {os: macos-latest, python: "3.11", dask-version: "latest", name: "Dask latest"}
-                    - {os: macos-latest, python: "3.13", prerelease: "allow", name: "Python 3.13 (pre-release)"}
+                    - {os: windows-latest, python: "3.11", dask-version: "2025.12.0", name: "min dask"}
+                    - {os: windows-latest, python: "3.13", dask-version: "latest"}
+                    - {os: windows-latest, python: "3.14", dask-version: "latest"}
+                    - {os: ubuntu-latest, python: "3.11", dask-version: "latest"}
+                    - {os: ubuntu-latest, python: "3.13", dask-version: "latest"}
+                    - {os: ubuntu-latest, python: "3.14", dask-version: "latest"}
+                    - {os: macos-latest, python: "3.11", dask-version: "latest"}
+                    - {os: macos-latest, python: "3.13", prerelease: "allow", name: "prerelease"}
+                    - {os: macos-latest, python: "3.14", prerelease: "allow", name: "prerelease"}
         env:
             OS: ${{ matrix.os }}
             PYTHON: ${{ matrix.python }}
diff --git a/src/spatialdata/_io/io_points.py b/src/spatialdata/_io/io_points.py
index b47fc418c..7b00b6acc 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/_io/io_points.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/_io/io_points.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def _read_points(
     store: str | Path,
 ) -> DaskDataFrame:
     """Read points from a zarr store."""
-    f = zarr.open(store, mode="r")
+    f = zarr.open(Path(store), mode="r")  # Path avoids zarr v3 URL-parsing special chars (e.g. #) in names
 
     version = _parse_version(f, expect_attrs_key=True)
     assert version is not None
diff --git a/src/spatialdata/_io/io_shapes.py b/src/spatialdata/_io/io_shapes.py
index b07256273..0907a56c2 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/_io/io_shapes.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/_io/io_shapes.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def _read_shapes(
     store: str | Path,
 ) -> GeoDataFrame:
     """Read shapes from a zarr store."""
-    f = zarr.open(store, mode="r")
+    f = zarr.open(Path(store), mode="r")  # Path avoids zarr v3 URL-parsing special chars (e.g. #) in names
     version = _parse_version(f, expect_attrs_key=True)
     assert version is not None
     shape_format = ShapesFormats[version]
diff --git a/src/spatialdata/_io/io_table.py b/src/spatialdata/_io/io_table.py
index 8cd7b8385..3eb4b0927 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/_io/io_table.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/_io/io_table.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 def _read_table(store: str | Path) -> AnnData:
     table = read_anndata_zarr(str(store))
 
-    f = zarr.open(store, mode="r")
+    f = zarr.open(Path(store), mode="r")  # Path avoids zarr v3 URL-parsing special chars (e.g. #) in names
     version = _parse_version(f, expect_attrs_key=False)
     assert version is not None
     table_format = TablesFormats[version]