diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 9d4051af2b962169ffdf9dde19f9edb4cb1269e6..fee9d7d45c4dfce9369dcf25afebbb802b877ff9 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -49,12 +49,14 @@ test_geoarray_install:
   stage: test
   script:
     - source /root/miniconda3/bin/activate
-    - conda create -y -q --name geoarray_testinstall python=3
-    - source activate geoarray_testinstall
 
-    # update conda and python
+      # update conda and python
     - conda update -n base -c defaults conda
-    - conda update -c conda-forge python
+#    - conda update -c conda-forge python
+
+    # create test environment
+    - conda create -y -q --name geoarray_testinstall python=3
+    - source activate geoarray_testinstall
 
     # avoid package incompatibilities due to usage of wrong channels
     - conda config --set channel_priority strict  # otherwise gdal or libgdal may be installed from defaults channel