diff --git a/reana_commons/snakemake.py b/reana_commons/snakemake.py
index e8733352..78556cb9 100644
--- a/reana_commons/snakemake.py
+++ b/reana_commons/snakemake.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
 # This file is part of REANA.
-# Copyright (C) 2021, 2022 CERN.
+# Copyright (C) 2021, 2022, 2024 CERN.
 #
 # REANA is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
 # under the terms of the MIT License; see LICENSE file for more details.
@@ -11,15 +11,25 @@
 import os
 from itertools import filterfalse, chain
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
+from pathlib import Path
 
-from snakemake import snakemake
+from snakemake.api import SnakemakeApi
 from snakemake.dag import DAG
-from snakemake.io import load_configfile
+from snakemake.settings.types import (
+    ResourceSettings,
+    WorkflowSettings,
+    ConfigSettings,
+    OutputSettings,
+    StorageSettings,
+    DAGSettings,
+    DeploymentSettings,
+)
+
+# from snakemake.io import load_configfile
 from snakemake.jobs import Job
 from snakemake.persistence import Persistence
 from snakemake.rules import Rule
 from snakemake.workflow import Workflow
-
 from reana_commons.errors import REANAValidationError
 
 
@@ -36,15 +46,33 @@ def snakemake_validate(
     :param workdir: Path to working directory.
     :type workdir: string or None
     """
-    valid = snakemake(
-        snakefile=workflow_file,
-        configfiles=configfiles,
-        workdir=workdir,
-        dryrun=True,
-        quiet=True,
-    )
-    if not valid:
-        raise REANAValidationError("Snakemake specification is invalid.")
+
+    with SnakemakeApi(
+        OutputSettings(
+            quiet=True,
+        )
+    ) as snakemake_api:
+        try:
+            workflow_api = snakemake_api.workflow(
+                resource_settings=ResourceSettings(nodes=300),
+                config_settings=ConfigSettings(),
+                storage_settings=StorageSettings(),
+                storage_provider_settings=dict(),
+                workflow_settings=WorkflowSettings(),
+                deployment_settings=DeploymentSettings(),
+                snakefile=workflow_file,
+                workdir=workdir,
+            )
+            # Execute the workflow with the dryrun executor
+            dag_api = (
+                workflow_api.dag()
+            )  # If snakefile has syntax error, throws an error
+            # print(dag_api, "hey")
+            # dag_api.execute_workflow(executor="dryrun")
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            snakemake_api.print_exception(e)
+            raise REANAValidationError("Snakemake specification is invalid.")
 
 
 def snakemake_load(workflow_file: str, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict:
@@ -58,7 +86,7 @@ def snakemake_load(workflow_file: str, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict:
     """
 
     def _create_snakemake_dag(
-        snakefile: str, configfiles: Optional[List[str]] = None, **kwargs: Any
+        snakefile: Path, configfiles: Optional[List[Path]] = None, **kwargs: Any
     ) -> DAG:
         """Create ``snakemake.dag.DAG`` instance.
 
@@ -79,14 +107,23 @@ def _create_snakemake_dag(
         if configfiles is None:
             configfiles = []
         for f in configfiles:
+            pass
             # get values to override. Later configfiles override earlier ones.
-            overwrite_config.update(load_configfile(f))
+
+            # @TODO load_configfile is deprecated. Find another way to implement it.
+            # overwrite_config.update(load_configfile(f))
+
         # convert provided paths to absolute paths
-        configfiles = list(map(os.path.abspath, configfiles))
+        configfiles = [path.resolve() for path in configfiles]
         workflow = Workflow(
-            snakefile=snakefile,
-            overwrite_configfiles=configfiles,
-            overwrite_config=overwrite_config,
+            resource_settings=ResourceSettings(),
+            workflow_settings=WorkflowSettings(),
+            config_settings=ConfigSettings(
+                configfiles=configfiles,
+            ),
+            storage_settings=StorageSettings(),
+            storage_provider_settings=dict(),
+            dag_settings=DAGSettings(),
         )
 
         workdir = kwargs.get("workdir")
@@ -166,16 +203,18 @@ def relpath(f):
         else:
             # for backwards compatibility (Snakemake < 7 for Python 3.6)
             workflow.persistence = Persistence(dag=dag)
-        dag.init()
-        dag.update_checkpoint_dependencies()
-        dag.check_dynamic()
+
+        # dag.init() # This function is async
+        # dag.update_checkpoint_dependencies() # This function is async
+        # dag.check_dynamic() # Dag has no longer this attribute
         return dag
 
     workdir = kwargs.get("workdir")
     if workdir:
         workflow_file = os.path.join(workdir, workflow_file)
 
-    configfiles = [kwargs.get("input")] if kwargs.get("input") else []
+    workflow_file = Path(workflow_file)  # convert str to Path
+    configfiles = [Path(kwargs.get("input"))] if kwargs.get("input") else []
 
     snakemake_validate(
         workflow_file=workflow_file, configfiles=configfiles, workdir=workdir
@@ -186,8 +225,17 @@ def relpath(f):
     prev_cwd = os.getcwd()
     try:
         snakemake_dag = _create_snakemake_dag(
-            workflow_file, configfiles=configfiles, **kwargs
+            Path(workflow_file), configfiles=configfiles, **kwargs
         )
+    except Exception as e:
+        with SnakemakeApi(
+            OutputSettings(
+                quiet=True,
+            )
+        ) as snakemake_api:
+            snakemake_api.print_exception(e)
+
+        raise REANAValidationError("Snakemake specification is invalid.")
     finally:
         os.chdir(prev_cwd)
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4d7e2567..456b0767 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -38,10 +38,14 @@
     ],
     "cwl": ["cwltool==3.1.20210628163208"],
     "snakemake": [
-        "snakemake==8.20.5",
-        "snakemake-interface-common==1.17.3",
-        "snakemake-interface-executor-plugins==9.2.0",
-        "snakemake-interface-report-plugins==1.0.0",
+        "snakemake==8.23.0",
+        "snakemake-interface-common==1.17.4",
+        "snakemake-interface-executor-plugins==9.3.2",
+        "snakemake-interface-storage-plugins==3.3.0",
+        "snakemake-interface-report-plugins==1.1.0",
+    ],
+    "snakemake-xrootd": [
+        "snakemake-storage-plugin-xrootd==0.1.4",
     ],
 }