diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 8f24dfede31b23b78eeab393ae19609014e0d8f1..f3771097d21683afba0d37f72bfe0ae37753f024 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ stages:
     key: "macos-intel-cache"
 
 
-# build_linux_bob_devel:
-#   extends: .build_linux_template
-#   script:
-#     - python3 ./bob/devtools/build.py -vv build-bob-devel
+build_linux_bob_devel:
+  extends: .build_linux_template
+  script:
+    - python3 ./bob/devtools/build.py -vv build-bob-devel
 
 build_linux_deps:
   extends: .build_linux_template
@@ -82,10 +82,10 @@ build_linux_bob_devtools:
     - pre-commit run --all-files --show-diff-on-failure
     - python3 ./bob/devtools/build.py -vv build-devtools --twine-check
 
-# build_macos_intel_bob_devel:
-#   extends: .build_macos_intel_template
-#   script:
-#     - python3 ./bob/devtools/build.py -vv build-bob-devel
+build_macos_intel_bob_devel:
+  extends: .build_macos_intel_template
+  script:
+    - python3 ./bob/devtools/build.py -vv build-bob-devel
 
 build_macos_intel_deps:
   extends: .build_macos_intel_template
@@ -114,10 +114,10 @@ build_macos_intel_bob_devtools:
     - bdt ci deploy -vv
     - bdt ci clean -vv
   dependencies:
-    # - build_linux_bob_devel
+    - build_linux_bob_devel
     - build_linux_deps
     - build_linux_bob_devtools
-    # - build_macos_intel_bob_devel
+    - build_macos_intel_bob_devel
     - build_macos_intel_deps
     - build_macos_intel_bob_devtools
   tags:
@@ -160,10 +160,10 @@ pypi:
     - bdt ci pypi -vv dist/*.zip
     - bdt ci clean -vv
   dependencies:
-    # - build_linux_bob_devel
+    - build_linux_bob_devel
     - build_linux_deps
     - build_linux_bob_devtools
-    # - build_macos_intel_bob_devel
+    - build_macos_intel_bob_devel
     - build_macos_intel_deps
     - build_macos_intel_bob_devtools
   tags:
diff --git a/bob/devtools/bootstrap.py b/bob/devtools/bootstrap.py
index 460b59fc7547ffafcea00825513bfb2fe9cf708e..3267952acb6e7b01940289e24a96cb1f5c156725 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/bootstrap.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/bootstrap.py
@@ -558,6 +558,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
             [conda_bin, "install", "--yes"]
             + conda_verbosity
             + [
+                "-c",
+                "conda-forge",
                 "-n",
                 "base",
                 "python",
diff --git a/bob/devtools/build.py b/bob/devtools/build.py
index e91b29c9639cfff797def315fc187e072a451dde..d5908c20ccf95c8cea9527ba1251f21b19b2085b 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/build.py
+++ b/bob/devtools/build.py
@@ -654,8 +654,8 @@ def base_build(
         add_dependent_channels=True,
     )
 
-    if "channels" not in condarc_options:
-        condarc_options["channels"] = channels
+    # alays use the correct channel list: stable and public
+    condarc_options["channels"] = channels
 
     logger.info(
         "Using the following channels during (potential) build:\n  - %s",
diff --git a/bob/devtools/data/conda_build_config.yaml b/bob/devtools/data/conda_build_config.yaml
index 3554083057c2ddcb963f5a58fe89e6cf3428ef60..d473f2e35f7c7664f0465fd1ef16c42fa3fe082d 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/data/conda_build_config.yaml
+++ b/bob/devtools/data/conda_build_config.yaml
@@ -376,10 +376,9 @@ numba:
 # we build against numpy 1.18 but test against newer versions.
 numpy:
   # part of a zip_keys: python, python_impl, numpy
-  - 1.18   # [not (osx and arm64)]
-  - 1.19   # [osx and arm64]
+  - 1.19.5
 opencv:
-  - 4.5.2
+  - 4.5.1
 pandas:
   - 1.3.3
 pillow:
@@ -425,7 +424,7 @@ scikit_learn:
 scipy:
   - 1.7.1
 setuptools:
-  - 58.0.4
+  - 49.6.0
 simplejson:
   - 3.17.5
 six:
@@ -454,9 +453,11 @@ torchvision:
   - 0.10.1
 tqdm:
   - 4.62.3
-vlfeat:
-  - 0.9.20
 xarray:
   - 0.19.0
+zc_buildout:
+  - 2.13.4
+zc_recipe_egg:
+  - 2.0.7
 
 # AUTOMATIC PARSING END
diff --git a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/nightlies.yaml b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/nightlies.yaml
index 94df69e774e4305e8ddf6dd215e18eceabc5efa6..ab606951245e3659adebcf988b8b036c4859144f 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/nightlies.yaml
+++ b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/nightlies.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ stages:
 .bootstrap:
   before_script:
     - "[ -r ~/.condarc ] && rm -f ~/.condarc"
-    - "[ -d ~/.conda ] && rm -rf ~/.conda"
+    # remove ~/.conda if it exists unless it's a mac machine
+    - "[ -d ~/.conda ] && [ ! -d /Applications ] && rm -rf ~/.conda"
     - curl --silent "${BOOTSTRAP}" --output "bootstrap.py"
     - python3 bootstrap.py -vv channel base
     - source ${CONDA_ROOT}/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
diff --git a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
index e073cad95b0db71c8a134f4bc82e46c20726ee5e..5978b1183031c006c7b70c4fd2d5c3ba9e31963a 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
+++ b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ stages:
 .bootstrap:
   before_script:
     - "[ -r ~/.condarc ] && rm -f ~/.condarc"
-    - "[ -d ~/.conda ] && rm -rf ~/.conda"
+    # remove ~/.conda if it exists unless it's a mac machine
+    - "[ -d ~/.conda ] && [ ! -d /Applications ] && rm -rf ~/.conda"
     - curl --silent "${BOOTSTRAP}" --output "bootstrap.py"
     - python3 bootstrap.py -vv channel bdt
     - source ${CONDA_ROOT}/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
diff --git a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
index 578349fb368169e97505c7b499fe639fcc12dec3..67b08f7e8286edc4621a63fb207ec95a047fa58d 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
+++ b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ stages:
 .bootstrap:
   before_script:
     - "[ -r ~/.condarc ] && rm -f ~/.condarc"
-    - "[ -d ~/.conda ] && rm -rf ~/.conda"
+    # remove ~/.conda if it exists unless it's a mac machine
+    - "[ -d ~/.conda ] && [ ! -d /Applications ] && rm -rf ~/.conda"
     - curl --silent "${BOOTSTRAP}" --output "bootstrap.py"
     - python3 bootstrap.py -vv channel bdt
     - source ${CONDA_ROOT}/etc/profile.d/conda.sh