diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 4613dc013a4f16ee9d8a9a58656701f61afc0af2..8db1225b08ab81674340b029e9013e558ce0da6b 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ stages:
   - build
 
 variables:
-  BUILD_ENV_DOCKER_IMAGE: docker-registry.ebrains.eu/tc/ebrains-spack-build-env/okd:devel
-  GITLAB_BUILD_ENV_DOCKER_IMAGE: docker-registry.ebrains.eu/tc/ebrains-spack-build-env/gitlab_runners_nfs:devel
+  BUILD_ENV_DOCKER_IMAGE: docker-registry.ebrains.eu/tc/ebrains-spack-build-env/okd:okd_23.06
+  GITLAB_BUILD_ENV_DOCKER_IMAGE: docker-registry.ebrains.eu/tc/ebrains-spack-build-env/gitlab_runners_nfs:gitlab_runners_nfs_23.06
   SPACK_VERSION: v0.20.0
   SPACK_PATH_GITLAB: /mnt/spack_v0.20.0
   SYSTEMNAME: ebrainslab
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ deploy-prod-release-prod-cscs:
     OC_PROJECT: jupyterhub
     LAB_KERNEL_ROOT: /srv/jupyterlab_kernels/prod
     INSTALLATION_ROOT: /srv/main-spack-instance-2309
-    SPACK_ENV: ebrains-23-06
-    RELEASE_NAME: EBRAINS-23.06
+    SPACK_ENV: ebrains-23-09
+    RELEASE_NAME: EBRAINS-23.09
   resource_group: shared-NFS-mount-prod-cscs
   rules:
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^ebrains/
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ deploy-prod-release-prod-jsc:
     OC_PROJECT: jupyterhub
     LAB_KERNEL_ROOT: /srv/jupyterlab_kernels/prod
     INSTALLATION_ROOT: /srv/main-spack-instance-2309
-    SPACK_ENV: ebrains-23-06
-    RELEASE_NAME: EBRAINS-23.06
+    SPACK_ENV: ebrains-23-09
+    RELEASE_NAME: EBRAINS-23.09
   resource_group: shared-NFS-mount-prod-jsc
   rules:
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^ebrains/
diff --git a/install_spack_env.sh b/install_spack_env.sh
index 758b7b5e90d7000b5c74007c614faf666fd2f35c..b354b43b923b7342bcfb460abcbbdaa9d744fcf7 100644
--- a/install_spack_env.sh
+++ b/install_spack_env.sh
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ if [ $SYSTEMNAME == ebrainslab ]
 then
   EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER=$(grep 'compiler' $EBRAINS_REPO/site-config/$SYSTEMNAME/packages.yaml | awk -F'[][]' '{ print $2 }')
   spack compiler find
-  spack load $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER || (spack install $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER; spack load $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER)
+  spack load $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER || { spack install $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER; spack load $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER; }
 fi
 
 spack compiler find
diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index 4f60b56f167c129c368de90b05d7b2ad27d59604..ab828d5e13a1087726741d07378ef5aa9b43efa6 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ spack:
     - site-config/$SYSTEMNAME
   specs:
     # EBRAINS tools
-    - apbs@3.4.0
     - arbor@0.9.0 +python +mpi
     - biobb-analysis@4.0.1
     - biobb-chemistry@4.0.0
@@ -38,7 +37,6 @@ spack:
     - py-netpyne@1.0.5
     - py-neurom@3.2.2
     - py-neuror@1.6.4
-    - py-pdb2pqr@3.5.2
     - py-pynn@0.11.0 +mpi
     - py-pyunicore@0.15.0
     - py-quantities-scidash@0.12.4.3