diff --git a/build-and-test-py-project-within-miniconda.sh b/build-and-test-py-project-within-miniconda.sh
index cfaeac3be992402abe4be7c41105985211a6c104..353f945f6ed354bd2f132b72c7d98c6d5fa845c5 100644
--- a/build-and-test-py-project-within-miniconda.sh
+++ b/build-and-test-py-project-within-miniconda.sh
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@ set -x
 curl -L -O -k https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/ci-support/raw/master/build-py-project-within-miniconda.sh
 source build-py-project-within-miniconda.sh
 
-conda install --quiet --yes pytest
+PY_EXE=python
 
-conda list
+# Using pip instead of conda here avoids ridiculous uninstall chains
+# like these:https://gitlab.tiker.net/inducer/pyopencl/-/jobs/61543
+${PY_EXE} -mpip install pytest
 
-PY_EXE=python
+conda list
 
 TESTABLES=""
 if [ -d test ]; then