diff --git a/bob/devtools/bootstrap.py b/bob/devtools/bootstrap.py
index 3ce36344fc16b0e24de1e4a5a224f4bf291fe813..73712a948b60098f559ef2200a204f1149a9cf07 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/bootstrap.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/bootstrap.py
@@ -318,21 +318,30 @@ def get_channels(public, stable, server, intranet, group):
         )
 
     channels = []
+    channels_dict = {}
 
     # do not use '/public' urls for public channels
     prefix = "/software/" + group
     if not stable:
         channels += [server + prefix + "/conda/label/beta"]  # allowed betas
+        channels_dict["public/beta"] = channels[-1]
 
     channels += [server + prefix + "/conda"]
+    channels_dict["public/stable"] = channels[-1]
 
     if not public:
         prefix = "/private"
         if not stable:  # allowed private channels
             channels += [server + prefix + "/conda/label/beta"]  # allowed betas
+            channels_dict["private/beta"] = channels[-1]
         channels += [server + prefix + "/conda"]
+        channels_dict["private/stable"] = channels[-1]
 
-    return channels
+    upload_channel = channels_dict[
+        f"{'public' if public else 'private'}/{'stable' if stable else 'beta'}"
+    ]
+
+    return channels, upload_channel
 
 
 def setup_logger(logger, level):
@@ -447,7 +456,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         # context.  The URL should NOT work outside of Idiap's network.
         f.write(
             _BASE_CONDARC.replace(
-                "https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main", "http://www.idiap.ch/defaults",
+                "https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main",
+                "http://www.idiap.ch/defaults",
             )
         )
 
@@ -496,7 +506,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         )
         conda_bld_path = os.path.join(args.conda_root, "conda-bld")
         run_cmdline([conda_bin, "index", conda_bld_path])
-        channels = get_channels(
+        channels, _ = get_channels(
             public=True, stable=True, server=_SERVER, intranet=True, group="bob"
         ) + ["defaults"]
         channels = (
@@ -515,13 +525,16 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     elif args.command == "channel":
 
         # installs from channel
-        channels = get_channels(
-            public=True,
-            stable=(args.tag is not None),
-            server=_SERVER,
-            intranet=True,
-            group="bob",
-        ) + ["defaults"]
+        channels, _ = (
+            get_channels(
+                public=True,
+                stable=(args.tag is not None),
+                server=_SERVER,
+                intranet=True,
+                group="bob",
+            )
+            + ["defaults"]
+        )
         channels = ["--override-channels"] + ["--channel=%s" % k for k in channels]
         conda_cmd = "install" if args.envname in ("base", "root") else "create"
         cmd = (
diff --git a/bob/devtools/build.py b/bob/devtools/build.py
index de2c378b2bb0e0a20209fb5dd388606228f2a9e3..bcea0410e0bae75bc83291506eef97fa6c303d71 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/build.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/build.py
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ def base_build(
     """
 
     # if you get to this point, tries to build the package
-    channels = bootstrap.get_channels(
+    channels, upload_channel = bootstrap.get_channels(
         public=True, stable=True, server=server, intranet=intranet, group=group
     )
 
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ def base_build(
         return
 
     paths = get_output_path(metadata, conda_config)
-    urls = [exists_on_channel(channels[0], os.path.basename(k)) for k in paths]
+    urls = [exists_on_channel(upload_channel, os.path.basename(k)) for k in paths]
 
     if all(urls):
         logger.info(
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         )
 
     public = args.visibility == "public"
-    channels = bootstrap.get_channels(
+    channels, upload_channel = bootstrap.get_channels(
         public=public,
         stable=(not is_prerelease),
         server=server,
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     # retrieve the current build number(s) for this build
     build_numbers = [
-        next_build_number(channels[0], os.path.basename(k))[0] for k in paths
+        next_build_number(upload_channel, os.path.basename(k))[0] for k in paths
     ]
 
     # homogenize to the largest build number
diff --git a/bob/devtools/scripts/build.py b/bob/devtools/scripts/build.py
index be6518fd489b0eaebff4a40cd09963102043f888..23a0fc5ff3580cf65785ef750c79c060bc8a63d2 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/scripts/build.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/scripts/build.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def build(
         # use default
         condarc_options = yaml.load(BASE_CONDARC, Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
 
-    channels = get_channels(
+    channels, upload_channel = get_channels(
         public=(not private), stable=stable, server=server, intranet=ci, group=group,
     )
 
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ def build(
         "\n  - ".join(condarc_options["channels"]),
     )
 
-    logger.info("Uploading resulting package to: %s", channels[0])
+    logger.info("Uploading resulting package to: %s", upload_channel)
 
     # dump packages at base environment
     prefix = get_env_directory(os.environ["CONDA_EXE"], "base")
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ def build(
         path = get_output_path(metadata, conda_config)[0]
 
         # gets the next build number
-        build_number, _ = next_build_number(channels[0], os.path.basename(path))
+        build_number, _ = next_build_number(upload_channel, os.path.basename(path))
 
         logger.info(
             "Building %s-%s-py%s (build: %d) for %s",
diff --git a/bob/devtools/scripts/create.py b/bob/devtools/scripts/create.py
index 33d851dbf58099712238c70f0b5a2077145df707..7981287ba30e21bff07b09649f98b3f97f32a4ee 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/scripts/create.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/scripts/create.py
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ def create(
     if "channels" not in condarc_options:
         from ..bootstrap import get_channels
 
-        channels = get_channels(
+        channels, _ = get_channels(
             public=(not private),
             stable=stable,
             server=server,
diff --git a/bob/devtools/scripts/graph.py b/bob/devtools/scripts/graph.py
index 641b3bd784023fab02c5b2911a339569e404ffb0..be4cddc0be747e95b9a43833c4caac8d94184b73 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/scripts/graph.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/scripts/graph.py
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ def graph(
     gl = get_gitlab_instance()
 
     # get potential channel upload and other auxiliary channels
-    channels = get_channels(
+    channels, upload_channel = get_channels(
         public=(not private),
         stable=stable,
         server=server,
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ def graph(
     set_environment("NOSE_EVAL_ATTR", "")
 
     adj_matrix = compute_adjencence_matrix(
-        gl, package, conda_config, channels[0], deptypes=deptypes
+        gl, package, conda_config, upload_channel, deptypes=deptypes
     )
 
     graph = generate_graph(adj_matrix, deptypes=deptypes, whitelist=whitelist)
diff --git a/bob/devtools/scripts/local.py b/bob/devtools/scripts/local.py
index b8565e9683c9c47040392a4078cdc229e7cf6fb0..33fd45a4e87d7eaa843a360e2f2b119f2083b70e 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/scripts/local.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/scripts/local.py
@@ -17,12 +17,24 @@ from . import ci
 logger = get_logger(__name__)
 
 
-def set_up_environment_variables(
-    python, name_space, project_dir=".", project_visibility="public"
-):
+def set_up_environment_variables(python, name_space, project_dir):
     """This function sets up the proper environment variables when user wants
     to run the commands usually run on ci locally."""
-    os.environ["CI_JOB_TOKEN"] = gitlab.Gitlab.from_config("idiap").private_token
+    project_dir = os.path.abspath(project_dir)
+    project_name = os.path.basename(project_dir)
+    gl = gitlab.Gitlab.from_config("idiap")
+    package_name = f"{name_space}/{project_name}"
+    logger.info("Inferred this package name: %s", package_name)
+    try:
+        use_package = gl.projects.get(package_name)
+    except Exception:
+        print(
+            f"Could not find {package_name} on Gitlab! "
+            "Did you specify the correct group?"
+        )
+        raise
+    project_visibility = use_package.attributes["visibility"]
+    os.environ["CI_JOB_TOKEN"] = gl.private_token
     os.environ["CI_PROJECT_DIR"] = project_dir
     os.environ["CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE"] = name_space
     os.environ["CI_PROJECT_VISIBILITY"] = project_visibility
@@ -97,7 +109,9 @@ def docs(ctx, requirement, dry_run, python, group):
 
       \b
     """
-    set_up_environment_variables(python=python, name_space=group)
+    set_up_environment_variables(
+        python=python, name_space=group, project_dir=os.path.dirname(requirement)
+    )
 
     ctx.invoke(ci.docs, requirement=requirement, dry_run=dry_run)
 
@@ -145,7 +159,9 @@ Examples:
 @click.pass_context
 def build(ctx, dry_run, recipe_dir, python, group):
     """Run the CI build step locally."""
-    set_up_environment_variables(python=python, name_space=group)
+    set_up_environment_variables(
+        python=python, name_space=group, project_dir=os.path.join(recipe_dir, "..")
+    )
 
     ctx.invoke(ci.build, dry_run=dry_run, recipe_dir=recipe_dir)
 
@@ -186,5 +202,7 @@ Examples:
 @click.pass_context
 def base_build(ctx, order, dry_run, python, group):
     """Run the CI build step locally."""
-    set_up_environment_variables(python=python, name_space=group)
+    set_up_environment_variables(
+        python=python, name_space=group, project_dir=os.path.dirname(order)
+    )
     ctx.invoke(ci.base_build, order=order, dry_run=dry_run, group=group)
diff --git a/bob/devtools/scripts/rebuild.py b/bob/devtools/scripts/rebuild.py
index d42c581a947c2e9f19b7581f546908adb12c2314..33e2c0d336eed17dbf0640ec285189ed57ded63b 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/scripts/rebuild.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/scripts/rebuild.py
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ def rebuild(
     )
 
     # get potential channel upload and other auxiliary channels
-    channels = get_channels(
+    channels, upload_channel = get_channels(
         public=(not private), stable=stable, server=server, intranet=ci, group=group,
     )
 
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ def rebuild(
         "\n  - ".join(condarc_options["channels"]),
     )
 
-    logger.info("Uploading resulting package to: %s", channels[0])
+    logger.info("Uploading resulting package to: %s", upload_channel)
 
     # dump packages at base environment
     prefix = get_env_directory(os.environ["CONDA_EXE"], "base")
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ def rebuild(
         path = get_output_path(metadata, conda_config)[0]
 
         # Get the latest build number
-        build_number, existing = next_build_number(channels[0], os.path.basename(path))
+        build_number, existing = next_build_number(upload_channel, os.path.basename(path))
 
         should_build = True
 
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ def rebuild(
             )
             if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(destpath)):
                 os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(destpath))
-            src = channels[0] + existing[0]
+            src = upload_channel + existing[0]
             logger.info("Downloading %s -> %s", src, destpath)
             urllib.request.urlretrieve(src, destpath)
 
diff --git a/bob/devtools/scripts/test.py b/bob/devtools/scripts/test.py
index 24f5ff8bbb66988c76d34a914b080991fc557086..f12042563ad53105a83ae18bed549e679f3a447b 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/scripts/test.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/scripts/test.py
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ def test(
     if "channels" not in condarc_options:
         from ..bootstrap import get_channels
 
-        channels = get_channels(
+        channels, _ = get_channels(
             public=(not private), stable=stable, server=server, intranet=ci, group=group
         )
         condarc_options["channels"] = channels + ["defaults"]