diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6f032f6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# @see https://git-scm.com/docs/gitattributes
+# when you composer-require this library with --prefer-dist the tests will not be part of the installed vendor code
+# making your final package smaller in size and therefore faster to build and deploy
+
+# git files
+.github/            export-ignore
+.gitattributes      export-ignore
+.gitignore          export-ignore
+
+# testing and other
+tests/              export-ignore
+phpunit.xml.dist    export-ignore
+phpunit.php         export-ignore
+composer.lock       export-ignore
+.scrutinizer.yml    export-ignore
+
+# code style
+.editorconfig       export-ignore
+
+# license
+LICENSE             export-ignore
+CONTRIBUTING.md     export-ignore
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 03b71e8f..0b101539 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Alternatively, [download a release][], or clone this repository, then map the
 
 ## Dependencies
 
-This package requires PHP 8.1 or later; it has been tested on PHP 8.1.
+This package requires PHP 8.1 or later; it has also been tested on PHP 8.1.
 We recommend using the latest available version of PHP as a matter of
 principle.
 
diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index fb5d5d74..54389b3c 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     },
     "require-dev": {
         "pds/skeleton": "~1.0",
-        "phpunit/phpunit": "~5.7|~9.5"
+        "phpunit/phpunit": "^9.5"
     },
     "autoload-dev": {
         "psr-4": {
diff --git a/src/AbstractExtendedPdo.php b/src/AbstractExtendedPdo.php
index 204611a0..cb28bbc2 100644
--- a/src/AbstractExtendedPdo.php
+++ b/src/AbstractExtendedPdo.php
@@ -200,12 +200,12 @@ public function errorInfo(): array
      *
      * @param string $statement The SQL statement to prepare and execute.
      *
-     * @return int The number of affected rows.
+     * @return int|false The number of affected rows.
      *
      * @see http://php.net/manual/en/pdo.exec.php
      *
      */
-    public function exec(string $statement): int
+    public function exec(string $statement): int|false
     {
         $this->connect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ public function fetchObject(
         array $values = [],
         string $class = 'stdClass',
         array $args = []
-    ): object {
+    ): object|false {
         $sth = $this->perform($statement, $values);
 
         if (! empty($args)) {
@@ -567,12 +567,12 @@ public function perform(string $statement, array $values = []): PDOStatement
      * @param array $options Set these attributes on the returned
      * PDOStatement.
      *
-     * @return PDOStatement
+     * @return PDOStatement|false
      *
      * @see http://php.net/manual/en/pdo.prepare.php
      *
      */
-    public function prepare(string $query, array $options = []): PDOStatement
+    public function prepare(string $query, array $options = []): PDOStatement|false
     {
         $this->connect();
         $sth = $this->pdo->prepare($query, $options);
@@ -638,12 +638,12 @@ public function prepareWithValues(string $statement, array $values = []): PDOSta
      *
      * @param mixed ...$fetch_mode_args Optional fetch-related parameters.
      *
-     * @return PDOStatement
+     * @return PDOStatement|false
      *
      * @see http://php.net/manual/en/pdo.query.php
      *
      */
-    public function query(string $query, ?int $fetchMode = null, mixed ...$fetch_mode_args): PDOStatement
+    public function query(string $query, ?int $fetchMode = null, mixed ...$fetch_mode_args): PDOStatement|false
     {
         $this->connect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
@@ -663,12 +663,12 @@ public function query(string $query, ?int $fetchMode = null, mixed ...$fetch_mod
      *
      * @param int $type A data type hint for the database driver.
      *
-     * @return string The quoted value.
+     * @return string|false The quoted value or false if the driver does not support quoting in this way.
      *
      * @see http://php.net/manual/en/pdo.quote.php
      *
      */
-    public function quote(string|int|array|float|null $value, int $type = self::PARAM_STR): string
+    public function quote(string|int|array|float|null $value, int $type = self::PARAM_STR): string|false
     {
         $this->connect();
 
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ public function quote(string|int|array|float|null $value, int $type = self::PARA
      */
     public function quoteName(string $name): string
     {
-        if (strpos($name, '.') === false) {
+        if (!str_contains($name, '.')) {
             return $this->quoteSingleName($name);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php b/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
index e82ae94a..88196a50 100644
--- a/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
+++ b/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ public function fetchGroup(
      *
      * @param array $args Arguments to pass to the object constructor.
      *
-     * @return object
+     * @return object|false
      *
      */
     public function fetchObject(
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public function fetchObject(
         array $values = [],
         string $class = 'stdClass',
         array $args = []
-    ): object;
+    ): object|false;
 
     /**
      *
diff --git a/tests/ExtendedPdoTest.php b/tests/ExtendedPdoTest.php
index 463f33a1..c04a43ba 100644
--- a/tests/ExtendedPdoTest.php
+++ b/tests/ExtendedPdoTest.php
@@ -298,8 +298,6 @@ public function testFetchObject()
         $stm = "SELECT id, name FROM pdotest WHERE id = ?";
         $actual = $this->pdo->fetchObject($stm, [1]);
 
-        // in php <= 8 id is a string, in php >= 8.1 it is a int
-        // https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/PHP-8.1/UPGRADING#L131
         $this->assertSame(1, $actual->id);
         $this->assertSame('Anna', $actual->name);
     }
@@ -313,8 +311,7 @@ public function testFetchObject_withCtorArgs()
             'Aura\Sql\FakeObject',
             ['bar']
         );
-        // in php <= 8 id is a string, in php >= 8.1 it is a int
-        // https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/PHP-8.1/UPGRADING#L131
+
         $this->assertSame(1, $actual->id);
         $this->assertSame('Anna', $actual->name);
         $this->assertSame('bar', $actual->foo);
@@ -334,6 +331,12 @@ public function testFetchObjects()
         $this->assertEquals($expect, $actual);
     }
 
+    public function testFetchObjectWithNoResult()
+    {
+        $stm = "SELECT * FROM pdotest where 0";
+        $this->assertFalse($this->pdo->fetchObject($stm));
+    }
+
     public function testYieldObjects()
     {
         $stm = "SELECT * FROM pdotest";