diff --git a/.github/workflows/package.yml b/.github/workflows/package.yml
index 2632bd120..39a6030c1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/package.yml
@@ -86,15 +86,25 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Build the package using CPack
       working-directory: hexrdgui/packaging
-      # force tar.bz2 files with '--set conda_build.pkg_format 1'
       run: |
           conda activate hexrdgui-package
+
+          # Force conda-forge to be used by conda-build
+          conda config --remove channels defaults
+          conda config --add channels conda-forge
+
+          # force tar.bz2 files with '--set conda_build.pkg_format 1'
           conda config --set conda_build.pkg_format 1
           mkdir output
 
+          conda config --show channels
+
           # Use libmamba as the solver for all future conda commands
           export CONDA_SOLVER=libmamba
 
+          # Ensure conda and libmamba are fully up-to-date
+          conda update -n base conda conda-libmamba-solver
+
           HEXRD_PACKAGE_CHANNEL=${HEXRD_PACKAGE_CHANNEL} HEXRDGUI_OUTPUT_FOLDER=output/ cpack
       # This is need to ensure ~/.profile or ~/.bashrc are used so the activate
       # command works.