diff --git a/.github/workflows/ode-toolbox-build.yml b/.github/workflows/ode-toolbox-build.yml
index 364313f7..b5c6a943 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ode-toolbox-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ode-toolbox-build.yml
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout ODE-toolbox code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Setup Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.8
+          python-version: 3.9
 
       - name: Install apt dependencies
         run: |
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout ODE-toolbox code
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
       - name: Setup Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.8
+          python-version: 3.9
 
       - name: Install apt dependencies
         run: |
@@ -60,11 +60,13 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt install pkg-config python3-all-dev
 
       - name: Install GSL
+        if: ${{ matrix.with_gsl == '1' }}
         run: |
+          sudo apt remove libgsl27 libgsl-dev # remove system-wide GSL version that is installed by default
           cd ..
-          wget https://mirror.ibcp.fr/pub/gnu/gsl/gsl-latest.tar.gz
-          tar -xzf gsl-latest.tar.gz
-          cd gsl-2.*
+          wget https://mirror.ibcp.fr/pub/gnu/gsl/gsl-2.7.tar.gz # this should be "gsl-latest.tar.gz", but there is an issue with GSL 2.8 (see https://github.com/pygsl/pygsl/issues/62)
+          tar -xzf gsl-2.7.tar.gz
+          cd gsl-2.7
           ./configure && make && sudo make install
 
       - name: Install Python dependencies