diff --git a/packages/nest/package.py b/packages/nest/package.py
index f88e8f3ef172e99f4c8a290ccfcb698e4b4e9a86..df1f76ed76784de57d5cf1a885d2be8fe0476c2c 100644
--- a/packages/nest/package.py
+++ b/packages/nest/package.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class Nest(CMakePackage):
     maintainers = ['terhorst']
 
     version('master', branch='master')
+    version('3.7_rc1',    sha256='6f5948ac717d4b66c84ed53ba5c9b0e44e4e9cc3c1f3d15d8d8f21024313061e')
     version('3.6',    sha256='68d6b11791e1284dc94fef35d84c08dd7a11322c0f1e1fc9b39c5e6882284922')
     patch('nest-simulator-3.6-p1-CxxRealPath.patch', when='@3.6')
     version('3.5',    sha256='3cdf5720854a4d8a7d359f9de9d2fb3619a0be2e36932028d6940360741547bd')
diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index 726a38bc6b4b43582c064fcba2078aecbf370e34..9fce7ff124db91a268f8673b9cc58597eeee8329 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ spack:
     - biobb-structure-checking@3.12.1
     - biobb-structure-utils@4.0.0
     - hxtorch@8.0-a3
-    - nest@3.6 +sonata
+    - nest@3.7_rc1 +sonata
     - neuron@8.2.3 +mpi
     - py-bluepyefe@2.2.18
     - py-bluepymm@0.7.65