diff --git a/gitlab/before_test.sh b/gitlab/before_test.sh
index 80cf7129f9085f04b0cc09f7241477cd5739202a..6181d97699fbaaf8019e6748b4604cc6a0dee094 100755
--- a/gitlab/before_test.sh
+++ b/gitlab/before_test.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ fi
 
 # zc.recipe.egg needs some special installation instructions
 if [ "${CI_PROJECT_NAME}" == "bob.buildout" ]; then
-  run_cmd ${use_pip} install --no-binary ":all:" zc.recipe.egg
+  run_cmd ${use_pip} install --upgrade --no-binary ":all:" zc.recipe.egg
 fi
 
-run_cmd ${use_pip} install --use-wheel --no-index --pre dist/*.whl
+run_cmd ${use_pip} install --upgrade --use-wheel --no-index --pre dist/*.whl
diff --git a/gitlab/functions.sh b/gitlab/functions.sh
index e7f6c3a0ecc9d5239d6775618b6dcdb35fca8b6c..81cebf692dfd55cf1870e5f36493323347267d8d 100644
--- a/gitlab/functions.sh
+++ b/gitlab/functions.sh
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ fi
 
 PYVER=py$(echo ${PYTHON_VERSION} | tr -d '.')
 BOB_PREFIX_PATH=${CONDA_FOLDER}/envs/bob-devel-${PYVER}
+LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${BOB_PREFIX_PATH}/lib
 BOB_DOCUMENTATION_SERVER="${DOCSERVER}/software/bob/docs/latest/bob/%s/master/"
 
 if [ -z "${PYPISERVER}" ]; then