diff --git a/packages/hxtorch/package.py b/packages/hxtorch/package.py
index 87b0a3d734238b5bedb912072ba49a98dd27c1a2..a7eb51eb95722b4017a8517cf0a5a63d138ba345 100644
--- a/packages/hxtorch/package.py
+++ b/packages/hxtorch/package.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ class Hxtorch(WafPackage):
     # This repo provides a waf binary used for the build below
     git      = "https://github.com/electronicvisions/pynn-brainscales.git"
 
-    version('2.0-rc7', branch='waf')
+    version('2.0-rc8', branch='waf')
 
     # PPU compiler dependencies
     depends_on('oppulance@2.0:')
@@ -85,8 +85,18 @@ class Hxtorch(WafPackage):
 
         # llvm might be built with ~shared_libs but still builds shared libs
         if not any('llvm' in lib for lib in library):
+            print("libs: manually adding ", self.spec['llvm'].prefix.lib)
             library.append(self.spec['llvm'].prefix.lib)
 
+        # explicitly add googletest library if it isn't found above
+        if not any('googletest' in lib for lib in library):
+            if os.path.isdir(self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib64):
+                print("libs: manually adding ", self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib64)
+                library.append(self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib64)
+            if os.path.isdir(self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib):
+                print("libs: manually adding ", self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib)
+                library.append(self.spec['googletest'].prefix.lib)
+
         env.set('CPATH', ':'.join(include))
         env.set('C_INCLUDE_PATH', ':'.join(include))
         env.set('CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH', ':'.join(include))
diff --git a/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py b/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
index be6caa45cd440a209c7cf7683abecd08ac3585fd..fe994334d8b37dcce3e5e35e8494d58748081d10 100644
--- a/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
+++ b/packages/pynn-brainscales/package.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class PynnBrainscales(WafPackage):
     homepage = "https://github.com/electronicvisions/pynn-brainscales"
     git      = "https://github.com/electronicvisions/pynn-brainscales.git"
 
-    version('2.0-rc7', branch='waf')
+    version('2.0-rc8', branch='waf')
 
     # PPU compiler dependencies
     depends_on('oppulance@2.0:')
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ class PynnBrainscales(WafPackage):
 
         # llvm might be built with ~shared_libs but still builds shared libs
         if not any('llvm' in lib for lib in library):
+            print("libs: manually adding ", self.spec['llvm'].prefix.lib)
             library.append(self.spec['llvm'].prefix.lib)
 
         env.set('CPATH', ':'.join(include))
diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index 3d28a810d9b1f78f79080b0abfeefcecbcbfe135..02f0dcb7f194cdb83c36be3b5eba973310ef7853 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ spack:
     - py-pyaescrypt
     - py-formencode
     - tvb-framework ^binutils+ld+gold
-    - pynn-brainscales@2.0-rc7 ^log4cxx@0.10.0 ^googletest@1.11.0:+gmock
-    #- hxtorch@2.0-rc6 ^log4cxx@0.10.0 ^googletest@1.11.0:+gmock
+    - pynn-brainscales@2.0-rc8 ^log4cxx@0.10.0 ^googletest@1.11.0:+gmock
+    - hxtorch@2.0-rc8 ^log4cxx@0.10.0 ^googletest@1.11.0:+gmock
     - py-neo
     #- py-cerebstats
     #- py-cerebunit