diff --git a/.github/actions/publish-package/action.yml b/.github/actions/publish-package/action.yml
index 4f990d2d7dd..e18af68a548 100644
--- a/.github/actions/publish-package/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/publish-package/action.yml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ runs:
     shell: bash -l {0}
     run: |
       conda config --set always_yes yes --set changeps1 no
-      conda create -n build-env anaconda python=3.8
+      conda create -n build-env anaconda-client python=3.8
       conda activate build-env
       conda install conda-build conda-verify
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/conda.yml b/.github/workflows/conda.yml
index 43d36514a98..1b3ef2ee655 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/conda.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/conda.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           activate-environment: mantidimaging-dev
           auto-activate-base: false
+          environment-file: environment-dev.yml
+
 
       - name: Mantid Imaging developer dependencies
         shell: bash -l {0}
@@ -79,10 +81,9 @@ jobs:
           coveralls
 
       - name: publish 'unstable' package
-        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/master'
         uses: ./.github/actions/publish-package
         with:
-          label: unstable
+          label: test
           token: ${{ secrets.ANACONDA_API_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: publish docs