diff --git a/singleuser/csdms-tools/Dockerfile b/singleuser/csdms-tools/Dockerfile
index 99da1c9..926bd3c 100644
--- a/singleuser/csdms-tools/Dockerfile
+++ b/singleuser/csdms-tools/Dockerfile
@@ -4,11 +4,18 @@ FROM cuahsi/singleuser-base:$BASE_VERSION
 USER $NB_UID
 
 ENV XDG_CACHE_HOME /home/$NB_USER/.cache/
+ENV CONDA_PKG_DIRS=$HOME/.conda/pkgs
+
+WORKDIR /opt
+RUN > /opt/conda/conda-meta/pinned # clear conda pins
+COPY --chown=$NB_UID:$NB_UID environment.yaml /tmp/environment.yaml
+RUN mamba env update -n base --file /tmp/environment.yaml \
+    && mamba clean -afy
+WORKDIR /
 
-# downgrade pyopenssl to 23.0.0
 RUN mamba install -y \
 --channel conda-forge \
-pyopenssl=23.0.0 \
+pyopenssl \
 && mamba clean --all -f -y
 
 # pymt
@@ -28,10 +35,6 @@ pymt_gipl==0.1.1 \
 pymt_rafem==0.1.4 \
 && mamba clean --all -f -y
 
-# upgrade pyopenssl to fix an issue that is preventing
-# nbfetch from loading correctly.
-RUN mamba upgrade pyopenssl -y
-
 
 # data component
 RUN mamba install -y \
diff --git a/singleuser/csdms-tools/environment.yaml b/singleuser/csdms-tools/environment.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..742fc04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/singleuser/csdms-tools/environment.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+name: base
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+dependencies:
+  - python==3.9.16