diff --git a/.github/conda-env/test-env.yml b/.github/conda-env/test-env.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index adaf685cf..000000000
--- a/.github/conda-env/test-env.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-name: test-env
-dependencies:
-  - pip
-  - coverage
-  - coveralls
-  - pytest
-  - pytest-cov
-  - pytest-timeout
-  - numpy
-  - matplotlib
-  - scipy
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-package-conda.yml b/.github/workflows/python-package-conda.yml
index ef6033180..580648c03 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-package-conda.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-package-conda.yml
@@ -35,36 +35,29 @@ jobs:
       run:  sudo apt-get -y install libxkbcommon-x11-0 libxcb-icccm4 libxcb-image0 libxcb-keysyms1 libxcb-randr0 libxcb-render-util0 libxcb-xinerama0 libxcb-xfixes0 x11-utils
 
     - name: Setup Conda
-      uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v2
-      with:
-        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        activate-environment: test-env
-        environment-file: .github/conda-env/test-env.yml
-        miniforge-version: latest
-        miniforge-variant: Mambaforge
-        channels: conda-forge
-        channel-priority: strict
-        auto-update-conda: false
-        auto-activate-base: false
-
-    - name: Install optional dependencies
-      shell: bash -l {0}
       run: |
-        if [[ '${{matrix.slycot}}' == 'conda' ]]; then
-          mamba install slycot
-        fi
-        if [[ '${{matrix.pandas}}' == 'conda' ]]; then
-          mamba install pandas
-        fi
-        if [[ '${{matrix.cvxopt}}' == 'conda' ]]; then
-          mamba install cvxopt
-        fi
-
+        echo $CONDA/bin >> $GITHUB_PATH
+        conda create -q -c conda-forge --strict-channel-priority -n test-environment \
+          python=${{matrix.python-version}} \
+          coverage \
+          coveralls \
+          pytest \
+          pytest-cov \
+          pytest-timeout \
+          numpy \
+          matplotlib \
+          scipy \
+          ${{ matrix.slycot == 'conda' && 'slycot' || '' }} \
+          ${{ matrix.pandas == 'conda' && 'pandas' || '' }} \
+          ${{ matrix.cvxopt == 'conda' && 'cvxopt' || '' }}
+    
     - name: Test with pytest
-      shell: bash -l {0}
       env:
         PYTHON_CONTROL_ARRAY_AND_MATRIX: ${{ matrix.array-and-matrix }}
-      run: xvfb-run pytest --cov=control --cov-config=.coveragerc control/tests
+      run: |
+        source $CONDA/bin/activate test-environment
+        conda list
+        xvfb-run pytest --cov=control --cov-config=.coveragerc control/tests
 
     - name: Coveralls parallel
       # https://github.com/coverallsapp/github-action