diff --git a/looptime/plugin.py b/looptime/plugin.py
index b1afd57..e654a61 100644
--- a/looptime/plugin.py
+++ b/looptime/plugin.py
@@ -171,7 +171,18 @@ def pytest_fixture_setup(fixturedef: pytest.FixtureDef[Any], request: pytest.Fix
     should_patch = _should_patch(fixturedef, request)
     is_loop = isinstance(result, asyncio.BaseEventLoop)
     is_runner = False if sys.version_info < (3, 11) else isinstance(result, asyncio.Runner)
-    if should_patch and (is_loop or is_runner):
+    is_bp_runner = False if sys.version_info < (3, 11) else isinstance(result, asyncio.Runner)
+
+    # We avoid extra dependencies, but pytest-asyncio>=1.1.0 uses it, and we need to detect it.
+    # TODO: remove when Python 3.10 is dropped (≈October 2026).
+    try:
+        from backports.asyncio.runner import Runner as bp_Runner
+    except ImportError:
+        is_bp_runner = False
+    else:
+        is_bp_runner = isinstance(result, bp_Runner)
+
+    if should_patch and (is_loop or is_runner or is_bp_runner):
 
         # Populate the helper mapper of names-to-scopes, as used in the test hook below.
         if EVENT_LOOP_SCOPES not in request.session.stash:
@@ -193,6 +204,10 @@ def pytest_fixture_setup(fixturedef: pytest.FixtureDef[Any], request: pytest.Fix
             loop = result.get_loop()
             if isinstance(loop, asyncio.BaseEventLoop):
                 patchers.patch_event_loop(loop, _enabled=False)
+        elif is_bp_runner:  # TODO: drop this branch with Python 3.10
+            loop = result.get_loop()
+            if isinstance(loop, asyncio.BaseEventLoop):
+                patchers.patch_event_loop(loop, _enabled=False)
 
     return result
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 12ad956..f2ff3fe 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ dev = [
     "coverage",
     "coveralls",
     "pytest",
-    "pytest-asyncio<1.1.0",
+    "pytest-asyncio",
     "pytest-cov",
     "pytest-mock",
 ]