diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 96708961d..06df67deb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ on:
     branches: [master]
 
 env:
-  rust_version: 1.61.0
+  rust_version: 1.69.0
 
 jobs:
   lint:
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index e190bd18e..064c7ec08 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ keywords = ["kafka", "rdkafka"]
 categories = ["api-bindings"]
 edition = "2018"
 exclude = ["Cargo.lock"]
-rust-version = "1.61"
+rust-version = "1.69"
 
 [workspace]
 members = ["rdkafka-sys"]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6070ef6a7..cb44723f3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ re-exported as rdkafka features.
 
 ### Minimum supported Rust version (MSRV)
 
-The current minimum supported Rust version (MSRV) is 1.61.0. Note that
+The current minimum supported Rust version (MSRV) is 1.69.0. Note that
 bumping the MSRV is not considered a breaking change. Any release of
 rust-rdkafka may bump the MSRV.
 
diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 1806d5807..c9610a36b 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ See also the [rdkafka-sys changelog](rdkafka-sys/changelog.md).
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+* Bump MSRV to 1.69
+
 ## 0.36.2 (2024-01-16)
 
 * Update `BaseConsumer::poll` to return `None` when handling rebalance
diff --git a/rdkafka-sys/Cargo.toml b/rdkafka-sys/Cargo.toml
index 4870e15b3..ea937216e 100644
--- a/rdkafka-sys/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rdkafka-sys/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ description = "Native bindings to the librdkafka library"
 keywords = ["kafka", "rdkafka"]
 categories = ["external-ffi-bindings"]
 edition = "2018"
-rust-version = "1.61"
+rust-version = "1.69"
 
 [dependencies]
 num_enum = "0.5.0"
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 296d9f867..29a83863c 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -150,7 +150,10 @@ impl NativeClientConfig {
         }
 
         // Convert the C string to a Rust string.
-        Ok(String::from_utf8_lossy(&buf).to_string())
+        Ok(CStr::from_bytes_until_nul(&buf)
+            .expect("rd_kafka_conf_get to write a NUL-terminated string.")
+            .to_string_lossy()
+            .to_string())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 79a8d113f..8854adc92 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
 //!
 //! ### Minimum supported Rust version (MSRV)
 //!
-//! The current minimum supported Rust version (MSRV) is 1.61.0. Note that
+//! The current minimum supported Rust version (MSRV) is 1.69.0. Note that
 //! bumping the MSRV is not considered a breaking change. Any release of
 //! rust-rdkafka may bump the MSRV.
 //!