diff --git a/.github/workflows/conda-package.yml b/.github/workflows/conda-package.yml
index a17670a..2c6d0dd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/conda-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/conda-package.yml
@@ -140,7 +140,13 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install mkl_fft
         run: |
           CHANNELS="-c $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/channel ${{ env.CHANNELS }}"
-          conda create -n ${{ env.TEST_ENV_NAME }} $PACKAGE_NAME=${{ env.PACKAGE_VERSION }} python=${{ matrix.python }} pytest "scipy>=1.10" $CHANNELS
+          conda create -n ${{ env.TEST_ENV_NAME }} $PACKAGE_NAME=${{ env.PACKAGE_VERSION }} python=${{ matrix.python }} pytest $CHANNELS
+          if [[ "${{ matrix.python }}" != 3.9* ]]; then
+            # Intel channel only has scipy=1.10 for Python 3.9, which needs mkl<2025
+            # while scipy needs to install numpy and mkl_random and mkl_random-1.2.11 requires mkl>=2025
+            # so avoid installing scipy for Python 3.9 which means third_party/scipy tests will not run
+            conda install -n ${{ env.TEST_ENV_NAME }} "scipy>=1.10" $CHANNELS
+          fi
           # Test installed packages
           conda list -n ${{ env.TEST_ENV_NAME }}
 
@@ -307,8 +313,11 @@ jobs:
           FOR /F "tokens=* USEBACKQ" %%F IN (`python -c "%SCRIPT%"`) DO (
              SET PACKAGE_VERSION=%%F
           )
-          SET "TEST_DEPENDENCIES=pytest scipy"
+          SET "TEST_DEPENDENCIES=pytest"
           conda install -n ${{ env.TEST_ENV_NAME }} ${{ env.PACKAGE_NAME }}=%PACKAGE_VERSION% %TEST_DEPENDENCIES% python=${{ matrix.python }} -c ${{ env.workdir }}/channel ${{ env.CHANNELS }}
+          if ("${{ matrix.python }}" -ne "3.9") {
+            conda install -n ${{ env.TEST_ENV_NAME }} scipy -c ${{ env.workdir }}/channel ${{ env.CHANNELS }}
+          }
 
       - name: Report content of test environment
         shell: cmd /C CALL {0}
diff --git a/conda-recipe/meta.yaml b/conda-recipe/meta.yaml
index e73556e..13f68e3 100644
--- a/conda-recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda-recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -24,14 +24,13 @@ requirements:
       - pip
       - setuptools >=77
       - mkl-devel
-      - mkl-devel 2024.2.*  # [py==39]
       - cython
       - numpy-base
       - wheel  >=0.41.3
     run:
       - python
       - mkl-service
-      - {{ pin_compatible('numpy') }}
+      - {{ pin_compatible('numpy-base') }}
 
 test:
     commands: