diff --git a/.github/workflows/spack.yml b/.github/workflows/spack.yml
index 2ca1de9193..bd5ed162d0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/spack.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/spack.yml
@@ -31,7 +31,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build Arbor's Spack package against the develop branch
         run: arbor/scripts/build_spack_package.sh arbor develop
 
-      - name: Run Python examples
-        run: scripts/run_python_examples.sh
-      - name: Test executables
-        run: scripts/test_executables.sh
+      # build_spack_package.sh only builds, does not install, therefore can't run Python code.
+      # - name: Run Python examples
+      #   run: |
+      #     cd arbor
+      #     scripts/run_python_examples.sh
+      # - name: Test executables
+      #   run: |
+      #     cd arbor
+      #     scripts/test_executables.sh
diff --git a/scripts/build_spack_package.sh b/scripts/build_spack_package.sh
index ca767e97bc..f5e52650bc 100755
--- a/scripts/build_spack_package.sh
+++ b/scripts/build_spack_package.sh
@@ -62,4 +62,4 @@ spack reindex
 cp $ARBOR_DIR/spack/package.py $SPACK_CUSTOM_REPO/packages/arbor
 cd $ARBOR_DIR
 ARBOR_VERSION=$(cat "$ARBOR_DIR/VERSION")
-spack dev-build arbor@${ARBOR_VERSION}
+spack dev-build arbor@${ARBOR_VERSION} +python
diff --git a/spack/package.py b/spack/package.py
index c88687ad94..dad2ef24c7 100644
--- a/spack/package.py
+++ b/spack/package.py
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@
 
 from spack.package import *
 
+try:
+    with open("VERSION", "r") as file:
+        DEVVERSION = file.readline().strip()
+except:
+    DEVVERSION = None
+
 
 class Arbor(CMakePackage, CudaPackage):
     """Arbor is a high-performance library for computational neuroscience
@@ -16,6 +22,8 @@ class Arbor(CMakePackage, CudaPackage):
     maintainers = ["thorstenhater", "brenthuisman", "haampie"]
 
     version("master", branch="master", submodules=True)
+    if DEVVERSION:
+        version(DEVVERSION)
     version(
         "0.8.1",
         sha256="caebf96676ace6a9c50436541c420ca4bb53f0639dcab825de6fa370aacf6baa",