diff --git a/install_spack_env.sh b/install_spack_env.sh
index baa5007c718489d42eaf8a2bf03d6456130729ec..761c751e88eeaacffcb9c2491bd53615493a4356 100644
--- a/install_spack_env.sh
+++ b/install_spack_env.sh
@@ -24,14 +24,12 @@ fi
 cp $EBRAINS_REPO/packages.yaml $INSTALLATION_ROOT/spack/etc/spack/packages.yaml
 source $INSTALLATION_ROOT/spack/share/spack/setup-env.sh
 
-# install platform compiler and python (extract versions from packages.yaml)
+# install platform compiler (extract version from packages.yaml)
 EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER=$(grep 'compiler' $EBRAINS_REPO/packages.yaml | awk -F'[][]' '{ print $2 }')
-EBRAINS_SPACK_PYTHON=python@$(grep -A1 'python:$' $EBRAINS_REPO/packages.yaml | tail -n1 | awk -F'[][]' '{ print $2 }')
 spack compiler find
 spack install $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER
 spack load $EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER
 spack compiler find
-spack install $EBRAINS_SPACK_PYTHON %$EBRAINS_SPACK_COMPILER
 
 # add repo if it does not exist
 if [[ ! $(spack repo list | grep $EBRAINS_REPO) ]]