diff --git a/_metadata.py b/_metadata.py
index 323ac76..567207f 100644
--- a/_metadata.py
+++ b/_metadata.py
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-__extension_version__ = "0.7.0"
+__extension_version__ = "0.8.0"
 __extension_name__ = "pytket-iqm"
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index c34bddf..d3e9177 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 Changelog
 ~~~~~~~~~
 
+0.8.0 (October 2023)
+--------------------
+
+* Don't include ``SimplifyInitial`` in default passes; instead make it an option
+  to ``process_circuits()``.
+* Updated pytket version requirement to 1.21.
+
 0.7.0 (October 2023)
 --------------------
 
diff --git a/pytket/extensions/iqm/backends/config.py b/pytket/extensions/iqm/backends/config.py
index 7c14c5b..fb717b9 100644
--- a/pytket/extensions/iqm/backends/config.py
+++ b/pytket/extensions/iqm/backends/config.py
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ def set_iqm_config(
     """Set default value for IQM API token."""
     config = IQMConfig.from_default_config_file()
     if auth_server_url is not None:
-        config.auth_server_url = auth_server_url  # type: ignore
+        config.auth_server_url = auth_server_url
     if username is not None:
-        config.username = username  # type: ignore
+        config.username = username
     if password is not None:
-        config.password = password  # type: ignore
+        config.password = password
     config.update_default_config_file()
diff --git a/pytket/extensions/iqm/backends/iqm.py b/pytket/extensions/iqm/backends/iqm.py
index 43585a6..472386f 100644
--- a/pytket/extensions/iqm/backends/iqm.py
+++ b/pytket/extensions/iqm/backends/iqm.py
@@ -114,12 +114,12 @@ def __init__(
         config = IQMConfig.from_default_config_file()
 
         if auth_server_url is None:
-            auth_server_url = config.auth_server_url  # type: ignore
+            auth_server_url = config.auth_server_url
         tokens_file = os.getenv("IQM_TOKENS_FILE")
         if username is None:
-            username = config.username  # type: ignore
+            username = config.username
         if password is None:
-            password = config.password  # type: ignore
+            password = config.password
         if (username is None or password is None) and tokens_file is None:
             raise IqmAuthenticationError()
 
@@ -182,12 +182,6 @@ def default_compilation_pass(self, optimisation_level: int = 1) -> BasePass:
         passes.append(DelayMeasures())
         passes.append(self.rebase_pass())
         passes.append(RemoveRedundancies())
-        if optimisation_level >= 1:
-            passes.append(
-                SimplifyInitial(
-                    allow_classical=False, create_all_qubits=True, xcirc=_xcirc
-                )
-            )
         return SequencePass(passes)
 
     @property
@@ -203,7 +197,13 @@ def process_circuits(
     ) -> List[ResultHandle]:
         """
         See :py:meth:`pytket.backends.Backend.process_circuits`.
-        Supported kwargs: `postprocess`.
+
+        Supported `kwargs`:
+        - `postprocess`: apply end-of-circuit simplifications and classical
+          postprocessing to improve fidelity of results (bool, default False)
+        - `simplify_initial`: apply the pytket ``SimplifyInitial`` pass to improve
+          fidelity of results assuming all qubits initialized to zero (bool, default
+          False)
         """
         circuits = list(circuits)
         n_shots_list = Backend._get_n_shots_as_list(
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ def process_circuits(
             self._check_all_circuits(circuits)
 
         postprocess = kwargs.get("postprocess", False)
+        simplify_initial = kwargs.get("postprocess", False)
 
         handles = []
         for i, (c, n_shots) in enumerate(zip(circuits, n_shots_list)):
@@ -224,6 +225,10 @@ def process_circuits(
                 ppcirc_rep = ppcirc.to_dict()
             else:
                 c0, ppcirc_rep = c, None
+            if simplify_initial:
+                SimplifyInitial(
+                    allow_classical=False, create_all_qubits=True, xcirc=_xcirc
+                ).apply(c0)
             instrs = _translate_iqm(c0)
             qm = {str(qb): _as_name(cast(Node, qb)) for qb in c.qubits}
             iqmc = IQMCircuit(
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 4ce20d9..a4af4aa 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     license="Apache 2",
     packages=find_namespace_packages(include=["pytket.*"]),
     include_package_data=True,
-    install_requires=["pytket ~= 1.20", "iqm-client ~= 14.0"],
+    install_requires=["pytket ~= 1.21", "iqm-client ~= 14.0"],
     classifiers=[
         "Environment :: Console",
         "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9",