diff --git a/.github/workflows/etc/build-env.yaml b/.github/workflows/etc/build-env.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6fd8cbef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/etc/build-env.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+name: build-env
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+  - ilastik-forge
+dependencies:
+  - conda-build
+  - setuptools_scm
+  - boa
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 0160773f..bb307eda 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ jobs:
       - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
         with:
           activate-environment: ilastik-env
-          auto-activate-base: false
           auto-update-conda: true
           environment-file: .github/workflows/etc/ilastik-env.yaml
-          miniforge-variant: Mambaforge
+          miniforge-variant: Miniforge3
           use-mamba: true
       - name: linux test
         if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
@@ -64,13 +63,11 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
         with:
-          activate-environment: ""
-          auto-activate-base: true
+          activate-environment: build-env
+          environment-file: .github/workflows/etc/build-env.yaml
           auto-update-conda: true
-          miniforge-variant: Mambaforge
+          miniforge-variant: Miniforge3
           use-mamba: true
-      - name: install build deps
-        run: mamba install -n base -c conda-forge boa setuptools_scm -y
       - name: linux conda build test
         if: matrix.os == 'ubuntu-latest'
         shell: bash -l {0}