diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index 898132bc0a4..172a5ed9748 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -23,16 +23,16 @@ dependencies:
   - joblib
   - jupyter
   - lazy_loader >=0.3
-  - matplotlib >=3.6
+  - matplotlib >=3.7
   - mffpy >=0.5.7
   - mne-qt-browser
   - nibabel
   - nilearn
   - numba
-  - numpy >=1.23,<3
+  - numpy >=1.25,<3
   - openmeeg >=2.5.5
   - packaging
-  - pandas
+  - pandas >=2.0
   - pillow
   - pip
   - pooch >=1.5
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ dependencies:
   - qdarkstyle !=3.2.2
   - qtpy
   - scikit-learn
-  - scipy >=1.9
+  - scipy >=1.11.1
   - sip
   - snirf
   - statsmodels
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 3626da6f3df..dd29118fb3f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ dependencies = [
   "decorator",
   "jinja2",
   "lazy_loader >= 0.3",
-  "matplotlib >= 3.6",
-  "numpy >= 1.23,<3",
+  "matplotlib >= 3.7",  # 2023/02/13
+  "numpy >= 1.25,<3",  # 2023/06/17
   "packaging",
   "pooch >= 1.5",
-  "scipy >= 1.9",
+  "scipy >= 1.11.1",  # 2023/06/25
   "tqdm",
 ]
 description = "MNE-Python project for MEG and EEG data analysis."
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ full-no-qt = [
   "nilearn",
   "numba",
   "openmeeg >= 2.5.5",
-  "pandas",  # >= 1.5
+  "pandas >= 2.0",  # 2023/04/03
   "pillow",  # for `Brain.save_image` and `mne.Report`
   "pyarrow",  # only needed to avoid a deprecation warning in pandas
   "pybv",
diff --git a/tools/environment_old.yml b/tools/environment_old.yml
index 4515f9cd611..de79d26eed6 100644
--- a/tools/environment_old.yml
+++ b/tools/environment_old.yml
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
+# THIS FILE IS AUTO-GENERATED BY tools/hooks/update_environment_file.py AND WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
 name: mne
 channels:
   - conda-forge
 dependencies:
-  - python=3.10
-  - numpy=1.24
-  - scipy=1.10
-  - matplotlib=3.6
-  - pandas=1.5.2
-  - scikit-learn=1.2
-  - nibabel  # whichever one works
+  - python =3.10
+  - numpy =1.25
+  - scipy =1.11.1
+  - matplotlib =3.7
+  - pandas =2.0
+  - scikit-learn
+  - nibabel
   - tqdm
-  - pooch
+  - pooch =1.5
   - decorator
   - packaging
   - jinja2
-  - lazy_loader
+  - lazy_loader =0.3
diff --git a/tools/hooks/update_environment_file.py b/tools/hooks/update_environment_file.py
index b88308e20db..98fbe530267 100755
--- a/tools/hooks/update_environment_file.py
+++ b/tools/hooks/update_environment_file.py
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ def split_dep(dep):
 translations = dict(neo="python-neo")
 pip_deps = set()
 conda_deps = set()
+check_old = (
+    "numpy scipy matplotlib pandas scikit-learn nibabel tqdm pooch decorator "
+    "packaging jinja2 lazy_loader"
+).split()
+old_deps = [None] * len(check_old)
 for dep in deps:
     package_name, version_spec = split_dep(dep)
     # handle package name differences
@@ -64,6 +69,12 @@ def split_dep(dep):
         pip_deps.add(f"    {line}")
     else:
         conda_deps.add(line)
+    # old deps
+    if package_name in check_old:
+        # Pull out >= part, change to =, remove < (which should be after comma)
+        old_deps[check_old.index(package_name)] = line.replace(">=", "=").split(",")[0]
+for di, dep in enumerate(old_deps):
+    assert dep is not None, f"Missing {check_old[di]}"
 
 # TODO: temporary workaround while we wait for a release containing the fix for
 # https://github.com/mamba-org/mamba/issues/3467
@@ -77,15 +88,16 @@ def split_dep(dep):
 """
 pip_section = pip_section if len(pip_deps) else ""
 # prepare the env file
-env = f"""\
+header = f"""\
 # THIS FILE IS AUTO-GENERATED BY {'/'.join(Path(__file__).parts[-3:])} AND WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
 name: mne
 channels:
   - conda-forge
-dependencies:
+dependencies:"""  # noqa: E501
+env = f"""{header}
   - python {req_python}
 {newline.join(sorted(conda_deps, key=str.casefold))}
-{pip_section}"""  # noqa: E501
+{pip_section}"""
 
 env_file = repo_root / "environment.yml"
 old_env = env_file.read_text("utf-8")
@@ -93,3 +105,16 @@ def split_dep(dep):
     diff = "\n".join(difflib.unified_diff(old_env.splitlines(), env.splitlines()))
     print(f"Updating {env_file} with diff:\n{diff}")
     env_file.write_text(env, encoding="utf-8")
+
+# Now we also updated tools/environment_old.yml
+env_file = repo_root / "tools" / "environment_old.yml"
+old_env = env_file.read_text("utf-8")
+use_python = req_python.replace(">=", "=")
+env = f"""{header}
+  - python {use_python}
+{newline.join(old_deps)}
+"""
+if old_env != env:
+    diff = "\n".join(difflib.unified_diff(old_env.splitlines(), env.splitlines()))
+    print(f"Updating {env_file} with diff:\n{diff}")
+    env_file.write_text(env, encoding="utf-8")