diff --git a/gitlab/before_build.sh b/gitlab/before_build.sh
index 0535c43cc57a8243bac49a4372822debedd221b3..e2a1cc57b69fcd378834ceae8050a40e68a370b1 100755
--- a/gitlab/before_build.sh
+++ b/gitlab/before_build.sh
@@ -8,27 +8,17 @@ WHEELS_SERVER=`echo ${DOCSERVER} | sed 's;https\?://;;'`
 check_env WHEELS_REPOSITORY
 check_env WHEELS_SERVER
 
-# Clones the conda dev environment to use
+# Readies the virtualenv to use for installation
 if [ ! -d ${PREFIX} ]; then
-  log_info "Downloading environment list into file \`env.txt'..."
-  run_cmd curl --silent --output env.txt https://gitlab.idiap.ch/bob/bob.admin/raw/master/install/${ARCH}/devel-${PYVER}.txt
-  log_info "Bootstrapping conda installation at ${PREFIX}..."
-  run_cmd ${CONDA_FOLDER}/bin/conda clean --lock
-  run_cmd ${CONDA_FOLDER}/bin/conda create --prefix ${PREFIX} --file env.txt --yes
-
-  # Dirty fix to libjpeg.8 compilation issues:
-  # https://github.com/ContinuumIO/anaconda-issues/issues/1042
-  if [ "${ARCH}" == "macosx" ] && [ -e "${PREFIX}/lib/libjpeg.8.dylib" ]; then
-    run_cmd install_name_tool -id @rpath/libjpeg.8.dylib ${PREFIX}/lib/libjpeg.8.dylib
-  fi
+  log_info "Creating virtualenv installation at ${PREFIX}..."
+  run_cmd ${BOB_PREFIX_PATH}/bin/virtualenv --system-site-packages ${PREFIX}
 else
   log_warn "Prefix directory ${PREFIX} exists, not re-installing..."
 fi
 
-# Source the newly created conda environment
-log_info "Running \"source ${CONDA_FOLDER}/bin/activate ${PREFIX}\"..."
-source ${CONDA_FOLDER}/bin/activate ${PREFIX}
-log_info "Environment ${PREFIX} activated"
+# Source the newly created virtualenv
+log_info "$ source ${PREFIX}/bin/activate"
+source ${PREFIX}/bin/activate
 
 # Verify where pip is installed
 use_pip=`which pip`
diff --git a/gitlab/before_test.sh b/gitlab/before_test.sh
index f24b8edce796dc2c5042d57da77faf1781922fe0..80cf7129f9085f04b0cc09f7241477cd5739202a 100755
--- a/gitlab/before_test.sh
+++ b/gitlab/before_test.sh
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@ source $(dirname ${0})/functions.sh
 
 run_cmd $(dirname ${0})/before_build.sh
 
-# Source the newly created conda environment
-log_info "Running \"source ${CONDA_FOLDER}/bin/activate ${PREFIX}\"..."
-source ${CONDA_FOLDER}/bin/activate ${PREFIX}
-log_info "Environment ${PREFIX} activated"
+# Source the newly created virtualenv
+log_info "$ source ${PREFIX}/bin/activate"
+source ${PREFIX}/bin/activate
 
 # Verify where pip is installed
 use_pip=`which pip`