diff --git a/.github/workflows/checks.yml b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
index dab9a16..a7a2843 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/checks.yml
@@ -78,14 +78,18 @@ jobs:
           auto-update-conda: true
           miniforge-version: latest
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-          environment-file: environment-dev.yml
           activate-environment: watertap-solvers-dev
+      - if: matrix.install-mode == 'dev'
+        run: |
+          conda install -c conda-forge cyipopt
       - if: matrix.install-mode == 'standard'
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      - name: Display python version
-        run: python --version
+      - if: matrix.install-mode == 'dev'
+        name: Install (dev)
+        run: |
+          pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
       - if: matrix.install-mode == 'standard'
         name: Install (standard)
         run: |
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5259501..92a7424 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
 ## Getting started (for contributors)
 
 ```sh
-conda env create -n environment-dev.yml
+conda create --yes -n watertap-solvers-dev -c conda-forge python=3.11
 conda activate watertap-solvers-dev
+conda install -c conda-forge cyipopt
 pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
+
 pytest --pyargs watertap_solvers -v
 ```
diff --git a/environment-dev.yml b/environment-dev.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index a0f556e..0000000
--- a/environment-dev.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-name: watertap-solvers-dev
-channels:
-  - conda-forge
-  - nodefaults
-dependencies:
-  - python=3.11
-  - pip
-  - cyipopt
-  - pip:
-    - '-r requirements-dev.txt'