diff --git a/.github/workflows/smoke-test.yml b/.github/workflows/smoke-test.yml
index 53816631..cc16ebeb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/smoke-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/smoke-test.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: ['3.9', '3.10', '3.11']
+        python-version: ['3.9', '3.10', '3.11.8']
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing-and-coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/testing-and-coverage.yml
index c59acf91..3a99ccd4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/testing-and-coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/testing-and-coverage.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: ['3.9', '3.10', '3.11']
+        python-version: ['3.9', '3.10', '3.11.8']
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index cca86e9c..9838f139 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ dependencies = [
     # Includes dask[array,dataframe,distributed,diagnostics].
     # dask distributed eases the creation of parallel dask clients.
     # dask diagnostics is required to spin up the dashboard for profiling.
-    "dask[complete]>=2024.3.0", # Includes dask expressions.
-    "hipscat>=0.3",
+    "dask[complete]<=2024.2.1",
+    "hipscat>=0.2.8",
     "pyarrow",
     "deprecated",
     "scipy", # kdtree
diff --git a/src/lsdb/catalog/dataset/dataset.py b/src/lsdb/catalog/dataset/dataset.py
index 34d7dd33..1cd7f9f6 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/catalog/dataset/dataset.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/catalog/dataset/dataset.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class Dataset:
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        ddf: dd.DataFrame,
+        ddf: dd.core.DataFrame,
         hc_structure: hc.catalog.Dataset,
     ):
         """Initialise a Catalog object.
diff --git a/src/lsdb/catalog/dataset/healpix_dataset.py b/src/lsdb/catalog/dataset/healpix_dataset.py
index afee0294..58c4a1c7 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/catalog/dataset/healpix_dataset.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/catalog/dataset/healpix_dataset.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def __init__(
 
     def __getitem__(self, item):
         result = self._ddf.__getitem__(item)
-        if isinstance(result, dd.DataFrame):
+        if isinstance(result, dd.core.DataFrame):
             return self.__class__(result, self._ddf_pixel_map, self.hc_structure)
         return result
 
@@ -168,9 +168,6 @@ def _construct_search_ddf(
         Returns:
             The catalog pixel map and the respective Dask DataFrame
         """
-        filtered_partitions = (
-            filtered_partitions if len(filtered_partitions) > 0 else [delayed(self._ddf._meta)]
-        )
         divisions = get_pixels_divisions(filtered_pixels)
         search_ddf = dd.from_delayed(filtered_partitions, meta=self._ddf._meta, divisions=divisions)
         search_ddf = cast(dd.DataFrame, search_ddf)
diff --git a/src/lsdb/dask/crossmatch_catalog_data.py b/src/lsdb/dask/crossmatch_catalog_data.py
index 68f701a7..b718c252 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/dask/crossmatch_catalog_data.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/dask/crossmatch_catalog_data.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def crossmatch_catalog_data(
         Type[AbstractCrossmatchAlgorithm] | BuiltInCrossmatchAlgorithm
     ) = BuiltInCrossmatchAlgorithm.KD_TREE,
     **kwargs,
-) -> Tuple[dd.DataFrame, DaskDFPixelMap, PixelAlignment]:
+) -> Tuple[dd.core.DataFrame, DaskDFPixelMap, PixelAlignment]:
     """Cross-matches the data from two catalogs
 
     Args:
diff --git a/src/lsdb/dask/join_catalog_data.py b/src/lsdb/dask/join_catalog_data.py
index 7bfe9ac4..241e31f5 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/dask/join_catalog_data.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/dask/join_catalog_data.py
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ def perform_join_through(
 
 def join_catalog_data_on(
     left: Catalog, right: Catalog, left_on: str, right_on: str, suffixes: Tuple[str, str]
-) -> Tuple[dd.DataFrame, DaskDFPixelMap, PixelAlignment]:
+) -> Tuple[dd.core.DataFrame, DaskDFPixelMap, PixelAlignment]:
     """Joins two catalogs spatially on a specified column
 
     Args:
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ def join_catalog_data_on(
 
 def join_catalog_data_through(
     left: Catalog, right: Catalog, association: AssociationCatalog, suffixes: Tuple[str, str]
-) -> Tuple[dd.DataFrame, DaskDFPixelMap, PixelAlignment]:
+) -> Tuple[dd.core.DataFrame, DaskDFPixelMap, PixelAlignment]:
     """Joins two catalogs with an association table
 
     Args:
diff --git a/src/lsdb/dask/merge_catalog_functions.py b/src/lsdb/dask/merge_catalog_functions.py
index 3f8ab0c9..bd828816 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/dask/merge_catalog_functions.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/dask/merge_catalog_functions.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import numpy.typing as npt
 import pandas as pd
-from dask.delayed import Delayed, delayed
+from dask.delayed import Delayed
 from hipscat.catalog import PartitionInfo
 from hipscat.pixel_math import HealpixPixel
 from hipscat.pixel_math.hipscat_id import HIPSCAT_ID_COLUMN, healpix_to_hipscat_id
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ def filter_by_hipscat_index_to_pixel(dataframe: pd.DataFrame, order: int, pixel:
 
 def construct_catalog_args(
     partitions: List[Delayed], meta_df: pd.DataFrame, alignment: PixelAlignment
-) -> Tuple[dd.DataFrame, DaskDFPixelMap, PixelAlignment]:
+) -> Tuple[dd.core.DataFrame, DaskDFPixelMap, PixelAlignment]:
     """Constructs the arguments needed to create a catalog from a list of delayed partitions
 
     Args:
@@ -160,9 +160,9 @@ def construct_catalog_args(
     """
     # generate dask df partition map from alignment
     partition_map = get_partition_map_from_alignment_pixels(alignment.pixel_mapping)
+
     # create dask df from delayed partitions
     divisions = get_pixels_divisions(list(partition_map.keys()))
-    partitions = partitions if len(partitions) > 0 else [delayed(pd.DataFrame([]))]
     ddf = dd.from_delayed(partitions, meta=meta_df, divisions=divisions)
     ddf = cast(dd.DataFrame, ddf)
     return ddf, partition_map, alignment
diff --git a/src/lsdb/loaders/dataframe/from_dataframe_utils.py b/src/lsdb/loaders/dataframe/from_dataframe_utils.py
index abcdf434..b0135c5d 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/loaders/dataframe/from_dataframe_utils.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/loaders/dataframe/from_dataframe_utils.py
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@ def _generate_dask_dataframe(
     Returns:
         The catalog's Dask Dataframe and its total number of rows.
     """
-    # Get one partition to find how the df schema
-    one_partition = pixel_dfs[0] if len(pixel_dfs) > 0 else pd.DataFrame([])
-    schema = one_partition.iloc[:0, :].copy()
+    schema = pixel_dfs[0].iloc[:0, :].copy() if len(pixels) > 0 else []
     divisions = get_pixels_divisions(pixels)
     delayed_dfs = [delayed(df) for df in pixel_dfs]
     ddf = dd.from_delayed(delayed_dfs, meta=schema, divisions=divisions)
diff --git a/src/lsdb/loaders/dataframe/margin_catalog_generator.py b/src/lsdb/loaders/dataframe/margin_catalog_generator.py
index 6cbd0493..c2e565cd 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/loaders/dataframe/margin_catalog_generator.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/loaders/dataframe/margin_catalog_generator.py
@@ -70,27 +70,15 @@ def create_catalog(self) -> MarginCatalog | None:
         Returns:
             Margin catalog object, or None if the margin is empty.
         """
-        pixels, partitions = self._get_margins()
-        if len(pixels) == 0:
-            return None
-        ddf, ddf_pixel_map, total_rows = self._generate_dask_df_and_map(pixels, partitions)
+        ddf, ddf_pixel_map, total_rows = self._generate_dask_df_and_map()
         margin_pixels = list(ddf_pixel_map.keys())
+        if total_rows == 0:
+            return None
         margin_catalog_info = self._create_catalog_info(total_rows)
         margin_structure = hc.catalog.MarginCatalog(margin_catalog_info, margin_pixels)
         return MarginCatalog(ddf, ddf_pixel_map, margin_structure)
 
-    def _get_margins(self):
-        combined_pixels = (
-            self.hc_structure.get_healpix_pixels() + self.hc_structure.generate_negative_tree_pixels()
-        )
-        margin_pairs_df = self._find_margin_pixel_pairs(combined_pixels)
-        margins_pixel_df = self._create_margins(margin_pairs_df)
-        pixels, partitions = list(margins_pixel_df.keys()), list(margins_pixel_df.values())
-        return pixels, partitions
-
-    def _generate_dask_df_and_map(
-        self, pixels, partitions
-    ) -> Tuple[dd.DataFrame, Dict[HealpixPixel, int], int]:
+    def _generate_dask_df_and_map(self) -> Tuple[dd.DataFrame, Dict[HealpixPixel, int], int]:
         """Create the Dask Dataframe containing the data points in the margins
         for the catalog as well as the mapping of those HEALPix to Dataframes
 
@@ -98,11 +86,21 @@ def _generate_dask_df_and_map(
             Tuple containing the Dask Dataframe, the mapping of margin HEALPix
             to the respective partitions and the total number of rows.
         """
+        healpix_pixels = self.hc_structure.get_healpix_pixels()
+        negative_pixels = self.hc_structure.generate_negative_tree_pixels()
+        combined_pixels = healpix_pixels + negative_pixels
+        margin_pairs_df = self._find_margin_pixel_pairs(combined_pixels)
+
+        # Compute points for each margin pixels
+        margins_pixel_df = self._create_margins(margin_pairs_df)
+        pixels, partitions = list(margins_pixel_df.keys()), list(margins_pixel_df.values())
+
         # Generate pixel map ordered by _hipscat_index
         pixel_order = get_pixel_argsort(pixels)
         ordered_pixels = np.asarray(pixels)[pixel_order]
         ordered_partitions = [partitions[i] for i in pixel_order]
         ddf_pixel_map = {pixel: index for index, pixel in enumerate(ordered_pixels)}
+
         # Generate the dask dataframe with the pixels and partitions
         ddf, total_rows = _generate_dask_dataframe(ordered_partitions, ordered_pixels)
         return ddf, ddf_pixel_map, total_rows
diff --git a/src/lsdb/loaders/hipscat/association_catalog_loader.py b/src/lsdb/loaders/hipscat/association_catalog_loader.py
index ee48badd..06790ca5 100644
--- a/src/lsdb/loaders/hipscat/association_catalog_loader.py
+++ b/src/lsdb/loaders/hipscat/association_catalog_loader.py
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@ def load_catalog(self) -> AssociationCatalog:
     def _load_empty_dask_df_and_map(self, hc_catalog):
         metadata_schema = self._load_parquet_metadata_schema(hc_catalog)
         dask_meta_schema = metadata_schema.empty_table().to_pandas()
-        ddf = dd.from_pandas(dask_meta_schema, npartitions=1)
+        ddf = dd.from_pandas(dask_meta_schema, npartitions=0)
         return ddf, {}
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index d9e3a944..c8694d21 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -188,10 +188,7 @@ def small_sky_order1_df(small_sky_order1_dir):
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def small_sky_source_df(test_data_dir):
-    return pd.read_csv(
-        os.path.join(test_data_dir, "raw", "small_sky_source", "small_sky_source.csv"),
-        dtype={"band": "string[pyarrow]"},
-    )
+    return pd.read_csv(os.path.join(test_data_dir, "raw", "small_sky_source", "small_sky_source.csv"))
 
 
 @pytest.fixture