diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 1b66aa7a12e8ce1c4ae883d222e3d04db00fd35d..d7ce5e758be3ce2a5a9574dba96807fd1f076911 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ sync-gitlab-spack-instance:
     - read-write
   image: $GITLAB_BUILD_ENV_DOCKER_IMAGE
   variables:
-    SPACK_NFS_ENV: ebrains-runner-build
+    SPACK_NFS_ENV: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH
     SPACK_REPO_PATH: $SPACK_PATH_GITLAB/ebrains-spack-builds
   script:
     # get latest state of EBRAINS repo
@@ -223,5 +223,5 @@ sync-gitlab-spack-instance:
       - spack_logs
     when: always
   rules:
-    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH && $CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE =~ /technical-coordination/
+    - if: ($CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH || $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "experimental_rel" || $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^ebrains/) && $CI_PROJECT_NAMESPACE =~ /technical-coordination/
       when: manual