diff --git a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
index 634324c93f05368b6f4decdb320e97f67c4823b2..8d29a69c1f75d84102be29adb3f6a693064e81cf 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
+++ b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ stages:
     - python3 bootstrap.py -vv channel base
     - source ${CONDA_ROOT}/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
     # for conda inspect during builds (on macos)
-    - conda install -n base conda-build
+    - mamba install -n base conda-build
     - conda activate base
     - bdt ci check -vv
   cache:
diff --git a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
index 94377a6fa2cf034c3e6c2552357017ab2e9f06d2..aebf064d238a57ee58fe847085bdb375ad4d7ff6 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
+++ b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ stages:
     - python3 bootstrap.py -vv channel base
     - source ${CONDA_ROOT}/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
     # for conda inspect during builds (on macos)
-    - conda install -n base conda-build
+    - mamba install -n base conda-build
     - conda activate base
     - bdt ci check -vv
   cache:
diff --git a/bob/devtools/scripts/ci.py b/bob/devtools/scripts/ci.py
index d0c1ca562045893427a2143c14ec159e6a993ea9..e7f5a26e7eb3916fd12a4df06986482dd2c6f69f 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/scripts/ci.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/scripts/ci.py
@@ -1021,6 +1021,18 @@ def check():
             f"pyprojecttoml"
         )
 
+    # check if the package uses pip to install itself
+    path = "conda/meta.yaml"
+    if os.path.isfile(path):
+        with open(path) as f:
+            content = f.read()
+        if '- "{{ PYTHON }} -m pip install . -vv"' not in content:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"""Could not find the pip install line inside the {path} file.
+Please apply similar changes to the {path} file:
+https://gitlab.idiap.ch/bob/bob.extension/-/merge_requests/133/diffs"""
+            )
+
     # if there is a pre-commit configuration file, run the tests
     path = ".pre-commit-config.yaml"
     if os.path.isfile(path):