diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 691e9fea3c678df430d399ba8bed2b206118669c..3343fcfa4214c0673415db0ca10674ed0bfaf82c 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ sync-gitlab-spack-instance:
     - spack repo list | grep -q ebrains-spack-builds && echo "Repository registered already" || spack repo add $SPACK_REPO_PATH
     - spack repo list
     # install compiler (if not already installed)
-    - EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER=$(grep 'compiler' $CI_PROJECT_DIR/packages.yaml | awk -F'[][]' '{ print $2 }')
+    - EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER=$(grep 'compiler' $CI_PROJECT_DIR/site-config/$SYSTEMNAME/packages.yaml | awk -F'[][]' '{ print $2 }')
     - spack compiler find
     - spack install $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER
     - spack load $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER