diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yml b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
index 1337736536e..25923285079 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
@@ -123,19 +123,27 @@ jobs:
             compare-tests: "ON"
             result-file: "changes-test-results-9.6.diff"
             container-options: '--user 0 --name container'
+            use-tpetra: "OFF"
           - image: "geodynamics/aspect-tester:jammy-dealii-9.7-v3"
             build-with-fastscape: "OFF"
             run-tests: "ON"
             compare-tests: "OFF"
             result-file: "changes-test-results-9.7.diff"
             container-options: '--user 0 --name container'
+            use-tpetra: "OFF"
           - image: "geodynamics/aspect-tester:jammy-dealii-master"
             build-with-fastscape: "ON"
             run-tests: "ON"
             compare-tests: "OFF"
             result-file: "changes-test-results-master.diff"
             container-options: '--user 0 --name container'
-
+            use-tpetra: "OFF"
+          - image: "geodynamics/aspect-tester:jammy-dealii-master"
+            run-tests: "ON"
+            compare-tests: "OFF"
+            result-file: "changes-test-results-master-tpetra.diff"
+            container-options: '--user 0 --name container'
+            use-tpetra: "ON"
     container: 
       image: ${{ matrix.image }}
       options: ${{ matrix.container-options }}
@@ -158,6 +166,7 @@ jobs:
         -D FASTSCAPE_DIR="$FASTSCAPE_DIR" \
         -D ASPECT_RUN_ALL_TESTS='${{ matrix.run-tests }}' \
         -D ASPECT_COMPARE_TEST_RESULTS='${{ matrix.compare-tests }}' \
+        -D ASPECT_USE_TPETRA='${{ matrix.use-tpetra }}' \
         -D CMAKE_UNITY_BUILD_BATCH_SIZE=8 \
         ..
         ninja -j 4
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dc3377abe48..b34053c437b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ endif()
 # Some other ASPECT configuration options:
 set(ASPECT_MAX_NUM_PARTICLE_SYSTEMS 2 CACHE STRING "The maximum number of particle systems supported at runtime.")
 
-set(ASPECT_USE_TPETRA OFF CACHE BOOL "If ON, use Tpetra classes of Trilinos. Requires a suitable Trilinos and deal.II.")
+set(ASPECT_USE_TPETRA OFF CACHE BOOL "If ON, use Tpetra packages in Trilinos. Requires a Trilinos with Tpetra support and deal.II version 9.8.0 or newer.")
 
 
 # ##############################################################################
@@ -124,29 +124,6 @@ endif()
 
 message(STATUS "Found deal.II version ${DEAL_II_PACKAGE_VERSION} at '${deal.II_DIR}'")
 
-if (ASPECT_USE_TPETRA)
-  message(STATUS "Using ASPECT_USE_TPETRA = '${ASPECT_USE_TPETRA}'")
-
-  if (NOT DEAL_II_TRILINOS_WITH_TPETRA OR NOT DEAL_II_TRILINOS_WITH_TPETRA_MUELU)
-      message(SEND_ERROR
-        "\n-- deal.II was built without support for Tpetra!\n"
-        )
-      set(_DEALII_GOOD OFF)
-  endif()
-
-  if (NOT ${DEAL_II_PACKAGE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 9.8.0)
-    message(SEND_ERROR
-          "\n-- Tpetra support is only available for deal.II versions greater or equal to 9.8.0!\n"
-          )
-        set(_DEALII_GOOD OFF)
-  endif()
-
-  message(SEND_ERROR
-      "\n-- Tpetra support is not yet complete. Only remove this check if you want to test Tpetra support.\n"
-      )
-    set(_DEALII_GOOD OFF)
-endif()
-
 set(_DEALII_GOOD ON)
 
 if(NOT DEAL_II_WITH_P4EST)
@@ -163,6 +140,52 @@ if(NOT DEAL_II_WITH_TRILINOS)
     set(_DEALII_GOOD OFF)
 endif()
 
+# Determine if Trilinos provides all necessary packages
+if (${DEAL_II_PACKAGE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 9.8.0)
+  if (NOT DEAL_II_TRILINOS_WITH_TPETRA AND NOT DEAL_II_TRILINOS_WITH_EPETRA)
+    message(SEND_ERROR
+          "\n-- deal.II reports that Trilinos neither supports the Epetra nor the Tpetra stack. One of the two needs to be available!\n"
+          )
+        set(_DEALII_GOOD OFF)
+  endif()
+
+  # If Epetra is not available, always use Tpetra even if the user did not request it
+  if (NOT ASPECT_USE_TPETRA AND NOT DEAL_II_TRILINOS_WITH_EPETRA)
+    message(STATUS "Forcing ASPECT_USE_TPETRA=ON because Epetra support is unavailable.")
+    set(ASPECT_USE_TPETRA ON CACHE BOOL
+      "If ON, use the Tpetra packages in Trilinos. Requires a Trilinos with Tpetra support and deal.II version 9.8.0 or newer." FORCE)
+  endif()
+
+  # Now check if the selected package is actually available
+  if (ASPECT_USE_TPETRA)
+    if (NOT DEAL_II_TRILINOS_WITH_TPETRA OR NOT DEAL_II_TRILINOS_WITH_TPETRA_MUELU)
+      message(SEND_ERROR
+        "\n-- deal.II was built without support for Trilinos Tpetra although it is required. This is not supported. \n"
+        )
+      set(_DEALII_GOOD OFF)
+    endif()
+  else()
+    if (NOT DEAL_II_TRILINOS_WITH_EPETRA)
+      message(SEND_ERROR
+        "\n-- deal.II was built without support for Trilinos Epetra although it is required. This is not supported. \n"
+        )
+      set(_DEALII_GOOD OFF)
+    endif()
+  endif()
+
+# deal.II older than 9.8.0 means we can only use Epetra, and Epetra is always
+# available if DEAL_II_WITH_TRILINOS is true, which was checked above.
+else()
+  if (ASPECT_USE_TPETRA)
+      message(SEND_ERROR
+            "\n-- Tpetra support is only available for deal.II versions greater or equal to 9.8.0!\n"
+            )
+      set(_DEALII_GOOD OFF)
+  endif()
+endif()
+
+message(STATUS "Using ASPECT_USE_TPETRA = '${ASPECT_USE_TPETRA}'")
+
 if(NOT DEAL_II_WITH_SUNDIALS)
     message(SEND_ERROR
       "\n-- deal.II was built without support for SUNDIALS!\n"
diff --git a/doc/modules/changes/20260526_gassmoeller b/doc/modules/changes/20260526_gassmoeller
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d7c883760a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/modules/changes/20260526_gassmoeller
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+New: ASPECT can now use the Tpetra packages provided by
+Trilinos if configured with deal.II 9.8.0 or higher.
+This means ASPECT can now use Trilinos 17 for its vector,
+matrix, and solver types. While accuracy and compatibility
+have been confirmed, performance may deteriorate
+compared to the older Epetra packages, until solver
+parameters have been investigated and tuned.
+<br>
+(Rene Gassmoeller, 2026/05/26)