diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index 451e6a5498b532a090701a1f420bf289a5884c3c..baeb5b67453473ce844ac56aa69cb0935c88bdc3 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@0.9.5 %gcc@10.3.0