diff --git a/.github/workflows/conda.yml b/.github/workflows/conda.yml
index f24f18fe..493353df 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/conda.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/conda.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os: ${{ fromJSON(vars.BUILD_OS)}}
-        python-version: ${{ fromJSON(vars.PYTHON_VERSIONS)}}
+        python-version: [3.8] # temp for testing purposes ${{ fromJSON(vars.PYTHON_VERSIONS)
     steps:
       - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
         with:
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ jobs:
           ANACONDA_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ANACONDA_TOKEN  }}
         shell: bash -l {0}
         run: |
+          conda update conda -y 
+          conda config --env --add channels conda-forge
+          conda config --env --add channels loop3d
+          conda config --env --set channel_priority strict
           conda install -c conda-forge conda-build scikit-build-core numpy anaconda-client conda-libmamba-solver -y
           conda config --set solver libmamba
           conda build -c conda-forge -c loop3d --output-folder conda conda  --python ${{matrix.python-version}}