diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index aefab57a3497c3b7ca831453308a4fa568d9ebb9..d8c472e451edc5ff67371771f6ed40201a49fce6 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ spack:
     - py-seaborn %gcc@10.3.0
     - py-matplotlib %gcc@10.3.0
     # EBRAINS simulators
-    - nest@3.0 +python +gsl +mpi %gcc@10.3.0
+    - nest@3.1 +python +gsl +mpi %gcc@10.3.0
     - arbor +mpi ^python@3:3.9 %gcc@10.3.0
     - neuron +mpi %gcc@10.3.0
     - py-pynn@0.9.6 %gcc@10.3.0