diff --git a/packages/nest/package.py b/packages/nest/package.py
index b817998fb36c70f17145d15eaeda9ce68d2b3faa..110b801e113afaf7e4bf47ee45607db23b0288e7 100644
--- a/packages/nest/package.py
+++ b/packages/nest/package.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class Nest(CMakePackage):
     git      = "https://github.com/nest/nest-simulator.git"
 
     version('master', branch='master')
+    version('3.4_rc1',sha256='62558bf545abd5a54e92abd4ce8afaa58b45fe1065e6f47a7da723cd85a7e013')
     version('3.3',    sha256='179462b966cc61f5785d2fee770bc36f86745598ace9cd97dd620622b62043ed')
     version('3.2',    sha256='583d5725882ad5e8fd4fc7ffab425da97cbbb91fadbc327e940c184e8892b958')
     patch('nest-simulator-3.2-p1-VersionNumber.patch', when='@3.2')
diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index 212e5e42ae7956cf7f9f378e1e29e744f7b0daa4..41ef9c41eaf349f3b409e6547234748559b5c993 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ spack:
     - py-lazyarray
     #- py-version-query
     # EBRAINS simulators
-    - nest@3.3 +python +gsl +mpi
+    - nest@3.4_rc1
     - arbor +python +mpi
     - neuron +mpi
     - py-pynn@0.10.1 +mpi