diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 69b807a3..5e10fb82 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -626,3 +626,4 @@ importFrom(utils,getFromNamespace)
 importFrom(utils,getS3method)
 importFrom(utils,modifyList)
 importFrom(utils,packageName)
+importFrom(utils,packageVersion)
diff --git a/R/ggplot-helper.R b/R/ggplot-helper.R
index 238c65c7..62e86c66 100644
--- a/R/ggplot-helper.R
+++ b/R/ggplot-helper.R
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ element_polygon <- function(fill = NULL, colour = NULL, linewidth = NULL,
     )
 }
 
+#' @importFrom utils packageVersion
 #' @importFrom grid gpar
 #' @importFrom ggplot2 element_grob
 #' @export
@@ -94,21 +95,27 @@ element_grob.ggalign_element_polygon <- function(element,
                                                  colour = NULL,
                                                  linewidth = NULL,
                                                  linetype = NULL, ...) {
-    gp <- try_fetch(
-        gpar(
+    if (packageVersion("ggplot2") > "3.5.1") {
+        gp <- ggfun("gg_par")(
+            lwd = linewidth, col = colour, fill = fill, lty = linetype
+        )
+        element_gp <- ggfun("gg_par")(
+            lwd = element$linewidth,
+            col = element$colour,
+            fill = fill_alpha(element$fill, element$alpha %||% NA),
+            lty = element$linetype,
+            lineend = element$lineend,
+            linejoin = element$linejoin,
+            linemitre = element$linemitre
+        )
+    } else {
+        gp <- gpar(
             lwd = ggfun("len0_null")(linewidth * .pt),
             col = colour,
             fill = fill,
             lty = linetype
-        ),
-        error = function(cnd) {
-            ggplot2::gg_par(
-                lwd = linewidth, col = colour, fill = fill, lty = linetype
-            )
-        }
-    )
-    element_gp <- try_fetch(
-        gpar(
+        )
+        element_gp <- gpar(
             lwd = ggfun("len0_null")(element$linewidth * .pt),
             col = element$colour,
             fill = fill_alpha(element$fill, element$alpha %||% NA),
@@ -116,19 +123,8 @@ element_grob.ggalign_element_polygon <- function(element,
             lineend = element$lineend,
             linejoin = element$linejoin,
             linemitre = element$linemitre
-        ),
-        error = function(cnd) {
-            ggplot2::gg_par(
-                lwd = element$linewidth,
-                col = element$colour,
-                fill = fill_alpha(element$fill, element$alpha %||% NA),
-                lty = element$linetype,
-                lineend = element$lineend,
-                linejoin = element$linejoin,
-                linemitre = element$linemitre
-            )
-        }
-    )
+        )
+    }
     grid::polygonGrob(
         x = x, y = y,
         gp = ggfun("modify_list")(element_gp, gp), ...
diff --git a/R/ggplot-theme.R b/R/ggplot-theme.R
index 882ae2ef..92bb8543 100644
--- a/R/ggplot-theme.R
+++ b/R/ggplot-theme.R
@@ -28,12 +28,14 @@ theme_no_strip <- function() {
     )
 }
 
+#' @importFrom utils packageVersion
 #' @importFrom rlang try_fetch
 complete_theme <- function(theme) {
-    try_fetch(
-        ggfun("complete_theme")(theme),
-        error = function(cnd) ggfun("plot_theme")(list(theme = theme))
-    )
+    if (packageVersion("ggplot2") > "3.5.1") {
+        ggfun("complete_theme")(theme)
+    } else {
+        ggfun("plot_theme")(list(theme = theme))
+    }
 }
 
 #' @importFrom ggplot2 register_theme_elements el_def element_line
diff --git a/R/ggplot-utils.R b/R/ggplot-utils.R
index 2bb4cca6..b4d3f622 100644
--- a/R/ggplot-utils.R
+++ b/R/ggplot-utils.R
@@ -13,16 +13,14 @@ allow_lambda <- function(x) {
     if (rlang::is_formula(x)) rlang::as_function(x) else x
 }
 
+#' @importFrom utils packageVersion
 #' @importFrom rlang try_fetch
 fill_alpha <- function(colour, alpha = NA) {
-    try_fetch(
-        # for version >= 3.5.0
-        ggplot2::fill_alpha(colour, alpha),
-        error = function(cnd) {
-            # for version < 3.5.0
-            ggplot2::alpha(colour, alpha)
-        }
-    )
+    if (packageVersion("ggplot2") >= "3.5.0") {
+        ggplot2::fill_alpha(colour, alpha)
+    } else {
+        ggplot2::alpha(colour, alpha)
+    }
 }
 
 is.waive <- function(x) inherits(x, "waiver")
diff --git a/R/layout-circle-build.R b/R/layout-circle-build.R
index dc69afdc..4cde63e2 100644
--- a/R/layout-circle-build.R
+++ b/R/layout-circle-build.R
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ ggalign_build.CircleLayout <- function(x) {
     circle_build(x)
 }
 
+#' @importFrom utils packageVersion
 #' @importFrom ggplot2 find_panel calc_element ggproto ggplotGrob theme
 #' @importFrom gtable gtable_add_grob gtable_add_padding
 #' @importFrom grid unit viewport editGrob
@@ -170,29 +171,35 @@ circle_build <- function(circle, schemes = NULL, theme = NULL) {
         }
 
         # build legends
-        default_position <- plot_theme$legend.position %||% "right"
-        if (length(default_position) == 2) {
-            default_position <- "inside"
-        }
-        if (!identical(default_position, "none")) {
-            plot_theme$legend.key.width <- calc_element(
-                "legend.key.width",
-                plot_theme
-            )
-            plot_theme$legend.key.height <- calc_element(
-                "legend.key.height",
-                plot_theme
-            )
-            guides[[i]] <- plot$guides$draw(
-                plot_theme,
-                default_position,
-                plot_theme$legend.direction
-            )
+        if (packageVersion("ggplot2") > "3.5.1") {
+            # ggplot2 development version > 3.5.1
+            guides[[i]] <- plot$guides$assemble(plot_theme)
+        } else {
+            default_position <- plot_theme$legend.position %||% "right"
+            if (length(default_position) == 2) {
+                default_position <- "inside"
+            }
+            if (!identical(default_position, "none")) {
+                plot_theme$legend.key.width <- calc_element(
+                    "legend.key.width",
+                    plot_theme
+                )
+                plot_theme$legend.key.height <- calc_element(
+                    "legend.key.height",
+                    plot_theme
+                )
+                guides[[i]] <- plot$guides$draw(
+                    plot_theme,
+                    default_position,
+                    plot_theme$legend.direction
+                )
+            }
         }
         origin <- just
         last_plot_size <- plot_size # the last plot panel size
         last_spacing <- spacing
     }
+
     # attach the guide legends
     guides <- lapply(c(.TLBR, "inside"), function(guide_pos) {
         unlist(lapply(guides, .subset2, guide_pos), FALSE, FALSE)