diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index ec57c239c4ef2..5587cc87beb7c 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE for details.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-# Enable bzlmod using both `MODULE.bazel` and `WORKSPACE.bzlmod`.
+# Enable bzlmod with `MODULE.bazel` and disable the `WORKSPACE` system.
 common --enable_bzlmod
+common --enable_workspace=no
 
 # https://docs.opentitan.org/doc/rm/c_cpp_coding_style/#cxx-version specifies
 build --action_env=BAZEL_CXXOPTS="-std=gnu++14"
diff --git a/BUILD.bazel b/BUILD.bazel
index 36c85f77b16c1..010504ddd88d8 100644
--- a/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/BUILD.bazel
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:public"])
 
 exports_files([
-    "WORKSPACE.bzlmod",
+    "MODULE.bazel",
     "python-requirements.txt",
     "tool_requirements.py",
 ])
diff --git a/WORKSPACE.bzlmod b/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
deleted file mode 100644
index a670850ba99e8..0000000000000
--- a/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright lowRISC contributors (OpenTitan project).
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE for details.
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-
-# If you're planning to add to this file, please read
-# //third_party/README.md first.
-
-workspace(name = "lowrisc_opentitan")
diff --git a/quality/BUILD.bazel b/quality/BUILD.bazel
index 1814b2e7f715b..97466decd6300 100644
--- a/quality/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/quality/BUILD.bazel
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ licence_test(
     Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE for details.
     SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
     """,
-    workspace = "//:WORKSPACE.bzlmod",
+    workspace = "//:MODULE.bazel",
 )
 
 format_exclude = [
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ clang_format_test(
     name = "clang_format_check",
     exclude_patterns = format_exclude,
     mode = "diff",
-    workspace = "//:WORKSPACE.bzlmod",
+    workspace = "//:MODULE.bazel",
 )
 
 clang_format_check(
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ test_suite(
 )
 
 buildifier_exclude = [
-    "./WORKSPACE.bzlmod",  # Prevent Buildifier from inserting unnecessary newlines.
     "./**/vendor/**",
     "./build/**",
     "./third_party/rust/crates/crates.bzl",  # Autogenerated by cargo-raze
@@ -159,7 +158,7 @@ buildifier_test(
     mode = "diff",
     no_sandbox = True,
     verbose = True,
-    workspace = "//:WORKSPACE.bzlmod",
+    workspace = "//:MODULE.bazel",
 )
 
 # TODO(cfrantz): Find a way to keep this list of rust targets synchronized
@@ -196,7 +195,7 @@ RUST_TARGETS = [
 rustfmt_test(
     name = "rustfmt_check",
     exclude_patterns = format_exclude,
-    workspace = "//:WORKSPACE.bzlmod",
+    workspace = "//:MODULE.bazel",
 )
 
 rustfmt_fix(
@@ -212,7 +211,7 @@ sh_test(
     name = "shellcheck_check",
     srcs = ["//util/sh/scripts:run-shellcheck.sh"],
     data = [
-        "//:WORKSPACE.bzlmod",
+        "//:MODULE.bazel",
         "@shellcheck",
     ],
     env = {
diff --git a/rules/bitstreams.bzl b/rules/bitstreams.bzl
index 3f94dafacf6aa..0190f3d534e7d 100644
--- a/rules/bitstreams.bzl
+++ b/rules/bitstreams.bzl
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def _bitstreams_repo_impl(rctx):
     if result.return_code != 0:
         fail("Bitstream cache not initialized properly.")
 
-# The bitstream repo should be evaluated with `bazel sync --configure` after
+# The bitstream repo should be evaluated with `bazel fetch --configure` after
 # every Git checkout. Once the cache is initialized, a typical invocation will
 # find the latest cached artifacts and map them to Bazel targets.
 #
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ bitstreams_repo = repository_rule(
     # This rule depends on the Git repository, but there's no ergonomic way to
     # encode the dependency in Bazel. Instead, indicate that the rule depends on
     # something outside of Bazel's dependency graph and rely on the user calling
-    # `bazel sync --configure` when checking out new revisions. For historical
+    # `bazel fetch --configure` when checking out new revisions. For historical
     # context, see <https://github.com/lowRISC/opentitan/issues/16832>.
     configure = True,
 )
diff --git a/rules/scripts/clang_format.template.sh b/rules/scripts/clang_format.template.sh
index d3738f91b77e2..5b6a4265197fa 100644
--- a/rules/scripts/clang_format.template.sh
+++ b/rules/scripts/clang_format.template.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ elif [[ ! -z "${BUILD_WORKSPACE_DIRECTORY+is_set}" ]]; then
     cd ${BUILD_WORKSPACE_DIRECTORY} || exit 1
 else
     echo "Neither WORKSPACE nor BUILD_WORKSPACE_DIRECTORY were set."
-    echo "If this is a test rule, add 'workspace = \"//:WORKSPACE.bzlmod\"' to your rule."
+    echo "If this is a test rule, add 'workspace = \"//:MODULE.bazel\"' to your rule."
     exit 1
 fi
 
diff --git a/rules/scripts/rustfmt.template.sh b/rules/scripts/rustfmt.template.sh
index d34994761d0d1..06590c8938889 100644
--- a/rules/scripts/rustfmt.template.sh
+++ b/rules/scripts/rustfmt.template.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ elif [[ -n "${BUILD_WORKSPACE_DIRECTORY+is_set}" ]]; then
     cd "${BUILD_WORKSPACE_DIRECTORY}" || exit 1
 else
     echo "Neither WORKSPACE nor BUILD_WORKSPACE_DIRECTORY were set."
-    echo "If this is a test rule, add 'workspace = \"//:WORKSPACE.bzlmod\"' to your rule."
+    echo "If this is a test rule, add 'workspace = \"//:MODULE.bazel\"' to your rule."
     exit 1
 fi
 
diff --git a/util/git/hooks/post-checkout b/util/git/hooks/post-checkout
index 5e0ee249802f9..797ae315929c1 100755
--- a/util/git/hooks/post-checkout
+++ b/util/git/hooks/post-checkout
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, see LICENSE for details.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-exec ./bazelisk.sh sync --configure
+exec ./bazelisk.sh fetch --configure
diff --git a/util/prep-bazel-airgapped-build.sh b/util/prep-bazel-airgapped-build.sh
index a93905e9a225c..259f435abb53f 100755
--- a/util/prep-bazel-airgapped-build.sh
+++ b/util/prep-bazel-airgapped-build.sh
@@ -115,14 +115,13 @@ if [[ ${AIRGAPPED_DIR_CONTENTS} == "ALL" || \
     --output bazel
   chmod +x bazel
 
-  # Make Bazel sync its own dependencies to the repository cache:
+  # Make Bazel fetch its own dependencies to the repository cache:
   # https://bazel.build/run/build#repository_cache_with_bazel_7_or_later
   mkdir -p "${BAZEL_AIRGAPPED_DIR}/empty_workspace"
   pushd "${BAZEL_AIRGAPPED_DIR}/empty_workspace"
     touch MODULE.bazel
-    touch WORKSPACE
     cp "${REPO_TOP}/.bazelversion" .
-    bazel sync --repository_cache="${BAZEL_AIRGAPPED_DIR}/${BAZEL_CACHEDIR}"
+    bazel fetch --repository_cache="${BAZEL_AIRGAPPED_DIR}/${BAZEL_CACHEDIR}"
   popd
   rm -rf "${BAZEL_AIRGAPPED_DIR}/empty_workspace"
 fi
diff --git a/util/sh/scripts/run-shellcheck.sh b/util/sh/scripts/run-shellcheck.sh
index 38af8127484e2..672048b943eb4 100755
--- a/util/sh/scripts/run-shellcheck.sh
+++ b/util/sh/scripts/run-shellcheck.sh
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@
 set -e
 
 # Escape the sandbox when running under `bazel test`. This script assumes that
-# when it's invoked by Bazel, the Bazel target will depend on `//:WORKSPACE.bzlmod`.
+# when it's invoked by Bazel, the Bazel target will depend on `//:MODULE.bazel`.
 # This assumption enables us to infer that we're running in the sandbox when we
-# see a symlink named "WORKSPACE.bzlmod".
-if [[ -L WORKSPACE.bzlmod ]]; then
+# see a symlink named "MODULE.bazel".
+if [[ -L MODULE.bazel ]]; then
     SHELLCHECK="$(realpath "${SHELLCHECK}")"
-    REPO_TOP="$(dirname "$(realpath WORKSPACE.bzlmod)")"
+    REPO_TOP="$(dirname "$(realpath MODULE.bazel)")"
     cd "${REPO_TOP}"
 else
     REPO_TOP="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"