diff --git a/packages/py-astropy/package.py b/packages/py-astropy/package.py
index e780f21c93192d5a60535e9140fe625ff7797628..d62abe730f8e60db3a94959f794d25eeb5500782 100644
--- a/packages/py-astropy/package.py
+++ b/packages/py-astropy/package.py
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ class PyAstropy(PythonPackage):
 #  TODO: probably fix, unrealistic
     depends_on("py-cython@0.29.13:", type="build")
     depends_on("py-cython@0.29.30", when="@5.1:6.0", type="build")
-    depends_on("py-cython@3.0.0", when="@6.1.0:", type="build")
+    # begin EBRAINS (modified): relax dependency version constraint
+    depends_on("py-cython@3.0", when="@6:", type="build")
+    # end EBRAINS
 
     # in newer pip versions --install-option does not exist
     depends_on("py-pip@:23.0", type="build")