diff --git a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
index 8d29a69c1f75d84102be29adb3f6a693064e81cf..280e119e04e3d69b97bd09afe82ba833e56ee64c 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
+++ b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/noarch.yaml
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ stages:
     - python3 bootstrap.py -vv channel base
     - source ${CONDA_ROOT}/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
     # for conda inspect during builds (on macos)
-    - mamba install -n base conda-build
     - conda activate base
+    - mamba install -n base conda-build
     - bdt ci check -vv
   cache:
     paths:
diff --git a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
index aebf064d238a57ee58fe847085bdb375ad4d7ff6..f2566bcb48cf2388009abe907c92f5f0a82ddeef 100644
--- a/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
+++ b/bob/devtools/data/gitlab-ci/single-package.yaml
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ stages:
     - python3 bootstrap.py -vv channel base
     - source ${CONDA_ROOT}/etc/profile.d/conda.sh
     # for conda inspect during builds (on macos)
-    - mamba install -n base conda-build
     - conda activate base
+    - mamba install -n base conda-build
     - bdt ci check -vv
   cache:
     paths: