diff --git a/bob/devtools/build.py b/bob/devtools/build.py
index 890da1c09e51d729e67bae9db6ba3c9b1e0623f0..3802741a5fc1a1129fba749e864381017a261037 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/build.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/build.py
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ def git_clean_build(runner, verbose):
       ['--exclude=%s' % k for k in exclude_from_cleanup])
 
 
-def base_build(bootstrap, server, intranet, use_local, group, recipe_dir,
+def base_build(bootstrap, server, intranet, group, recipe_dir,
     conda_build_config, python_version, condarc_options):
   '''Builds a non-beat/non-bob software dependence that doesn't exist on defaults
 
@@ -489,8 +489,6 @@ def base_build(bootstrap, server, intranet, use_local, group, recipe_dir,
     server: The base address of the server containing our conda channels
     intranet: Boolean indicating if we should add "private"/"public" prefixes
       on the returned paths
-    use_local: If set to ``True``, search locally built packages when looking
-      for dependencies
     group: The group of packages (gitlab namespace) the package we're compiling
       is part of.  Values should match URL namespaces currently available on
       our internal webserver.  Currently, only "bob" or "beat" will work.
@@ -516,8 +514,7 @@ def base_build(bootstrap, server, intranet, use_local, group, recipe_dir,
   public_channels = bootstrap.get_channels(public=True, stable=True,
     server=server, intranet=intranet, group=group)
 
-  all_channels = ['local'] if use_local else []
-  all_channels += public_channels + ['defaults']
+  all_channels = public_channels + ['defaults']
   logger.info('Using the following channels during (potential) build:\n  - %s',
       '\n  - '.join(all_channels))
   condarc_options['channels'] = all_channels
@@ -645,9 +642,8 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(recipe, 'meta.yaml')):
       # ignore - not a conda package
       continue
-    base_build(bootstrap, server, not args.internet, True,
-        args.group, recipe, conda_build_config, args.python_version,
-        condarc_options)
+    base_build(bootstrap, server, not args.internet, args.group, recipe,
+        conda_build_config, args.python_version, condarc_options)
 
   # notice this condarc typically will only contain the defaults channel - we
   # need to boost this up with more channels to get it right for this package's
diff --git a/bob/devtools/scripts/ci.py b/bob/devtools/scripts/ci.py
index 8e24930f1bf3060e0a3460f23c70ff7a9856d1bb..a4888e337f3d2cc57ffcc671bc46987dade4d7fa 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/scripts/ci.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/scripts/ci.py
@@ -648,13 +648,13 @@ def docs(ctx, requirement, dry_run):
 
   This command:
     \b
-    
+
     1. Clones all the necessary packages necessary to build the bob/beat
        documentation
-    \b       
-       
+    \b
+
     2. Generates the `extra-intersphinx.txt` and `nitpick-exceptions.txt` file
-    \b    
+    \b
 
   This command is supposed to be run **instead** of `bdt ci build...`