diff --git a/configs/templates/neptune-dev/spack.yaml b/configs/templates/neptune-dev/spack.yaml
index e0219fa0d..564cf6d86 100644
--- a/configs/templates/neptune-dev/spack.yaml
+++ b/configs/templates/neptune-dev/spack.yaml
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ spack:
   definitions:
   - compilers: ['%aocc', '%apple-clang', '%gcc', '%intel', '%oneapi']
   - packages:
-      - neptune-env +espc ^esmf@8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
-      - neptune-python-env +xnrl
+      - neptune-env +espc        ^esmf@8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
+      - neptune-python-env +xnrl ^esmf@8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
 
   specs:
     - matrix:
diff --git a/configs/templates/skylab-dev/spack.yaml b/configs/templates/skylab-dev/spack.yaml
index 1ba272a63..4616138ca 100644
--- a/configs/templates/skylab-dev/spack.yaml
+++ b/configs/templates/skylab-dev/spack.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ spack:
     - jedi-neptune-env      ^esmf@=8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
     - jedi-ufs-env          ^esmf@=8.6.1
     - jedi-um-env
-    - neptune-env ~espc +python ~xnrl ^esmf@=8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
+    - neptune-env           ^esmf@=8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
+    - neptune-python-env    ^esmf@=8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
     - soca-env
 
     # Various crtm tags (list all to avoid duplicate packages)
diff --git a/configs/templates/unified-dev/spack.yaml b/configs/templates/unified-dev/spack.yaml
index a05ed4a75..608b4462a 100644
--- a/configs/templates/unified-dev/spack.yaml
+++ b/configs/templates/unified-dev/spack.yaml
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ spack:
     - jedi-tools-env
     - jedi-ufs-env          ^esmf@=8.6.1
     - jedi-um-env
-    - neptune-env ~espc +python ~xnrl ^esmf@=8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
+    - neptune-env           ^esmf@=8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
+    - neptune-python-env    ^esmf@=8.7.0b11 snapshot=b11
     - soca-env
     - ufs-srw-app-env       ^esmf@=8.6.1
     - ufs-weather-model-env ^esmf@=8.6.1