diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 6ae8ab37b598ea3cf9c69b669313b93406838a3e..13c4774c2f7f3f8be4067a2718892bf79d146fb2 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ basic-3.11:
     - *list-env
     - python test/test_samplers_import.py
 
-# import-samplers-3.9:
-#   <<: *test-samplers-import
-#   image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
+import-samplers-3.9:
+  <<: *test-samplers-import
+  image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
 
 import-samplers-3.10:
   <<: *test-samplers-import
@@ -109,13 +109,6 @@ import-samplers-3.11:
     # Run precommits (flake8, spellcheck, isort, no merge conflicts, etc)
     - pre-commit run --all-files --verbose --show-diff-on-failure
 
-# precommits-py3.9:
-#   <<: *precommits
-#   image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
-#   variables:
-#     CACHE_DIR: ".pip39"
-#     PYVERSION: "python39"
-
 precommits-py3.10:
   <<: *precommits
   image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python310
@@ -142,10 +135,10 @@ install:
 
     - pytest --cov=bilby --durations 10
 
-# python-3.9:
-#   <<: *unit-test
-#   needs: ["basic-3.9", "precommits-py3.9"]
-#   image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
+python-3.9:
+  <<: *unit-test
+  needs: ["basic-3.9"]
+  image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
 
 python-3.10:
   <<: *unit-test
@@ -176,10 +169,10 @@ python-3.11:
     - *list-env
     - pytest test/integration/sampler_run_test.py --durations 10 -v
 
-# python-3.9-samplers:
-#   <<: *test-sampler
-#   needs: ["basic-3.9", "precommits-py3.9"]
-#   image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
+python-3.9-samplers:
+  <<: *test-sampler
+  needs: ["basic-3.9"]
+  image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
 
 python-3.10-samplers:
   <<: *test-sampler
@@ -212,10 +205,10 @@ integration-tests-python-3.10:
     - *list-env
     - pytest test/gw/plot_test.py
 
-# plotting-python-3.9:
-#   <<: *plotting
-#   image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
-#   needs: ["basic-3.9", "precommits-py3.9"]
+plotting-python-3.9:
+  <<: *plotting
+  image: containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-python39
+  needs: ["basic-3.9"]
 
 plotting-python-3.10:
   <<: *plotting
@@ -283,11 +276,10 @@ pages:
     - docker image tag v3-bilby-$PYVERSION containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-$PYVERSION:latest
     - docker image push containers.ligo.org/lscsoft/bilby/v2-bilby-$PYVERSION:latest
 
-# disable building python39 container due to dependency issues
-# build-python39-container:
-#   <<: *build-container
-#   variables:
-#     PYVERSION: "python39"
+build-python39-container:
+  <<: *build-container
+  variables:
+    PYVERSION: "python39"
 
 build-python310-container:
   <<: *build-container
diff --git a/containers/dockerfile-template b/containers/dockerfile-template
index b4607dd8f049bd8aa9024fb41a00135be405d019..f0ef592f07338d09fd488eed7b6209fde646d44f 100644
--- a/containers/dockerfile-template
+++ b/containers/dockerfile-template
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ LABEL name="bilby CI testing" \
 maintainer="Gregory Ashton <gregory.ashton@ligo.org>, Colm Talbot <colm.talbot@ligo.org>"
 
 COPY env-template.yml env.yml
-RUN echo "  - python=={python_major_version}.{python_minor_version}" >> env.yml
+RUN echo "  - python={python_major_version}.{python_minor_version}" >> env.yml
 ENV conda_env python{python_major_version}{python_minor_version}
 
 RUN mamba env create -f env.yml -n ${{conda_env}}
diff --git a/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python310 b/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python310
index c503f911c42d5940f2f8263c9d0043a0d2331508..b7cbab298e60d68919d71d45639afacd003942fb 100644
--- a/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python310
+++ b/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python310
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ LABEL name="bilby CI testing" \
 maintainer="Gregory Ashton <gregory.ashton@ligo.org>, Colm Talbot <colm.talbot@ligo.org>"
 
 COPY env-template.yml env.yml
-RUN echo "  - python==3.10" >> env.yml
+RUN echo "  - python=3.10" >> env.yml
 ENV conda_env python310
 
 RUN mamba env create -f env.yml -n ${conda_env}
diff --git a/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python311 b/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python311
index ca3898252fb4067a2917831d48495c0733265f7d..85d27d405a58558629bde0e13d924a6fb9ac81ec 100644
--- a/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python311
+++ b/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python311
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ LABEL name="bilby CI testing" \
 maintainer="Gregory Ashton <gregory.ashton@ligo.org>, Colm Talbot <colm.talbot@ligo.org>"
 
 COPY env-template.yml env.yml
-RUN echo "  - python==3.11" >> env.yml
+RUN echo "  - python=3.11" >> env.yml
 ENV conda_env python311
 
 RUN mamba env create -f env.yml -n ${conda_env}
diff --git a/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python39 b/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python39
index b19335b167356a38b993415e077b5ea533011a08..9c1d5a04c4e70181911aad76a70592cca63e0d43 100644
--- a/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python39
+++ b/containers/v3-dockerfile-test-suite-python39
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ LABEL name="bilby CI testing" \
 maintainer="Gregory Ashton <gregory.ashton@ligo.org>, Colm Talbot <colm.talbot@ligo.org>"
 
 COPY env-template.yml env.yml
-RUN echo "  - python==3.9" >> env.yml
+RUN echo "  - python=3.9" >> env.yml
 ENV conda_env python39
 
 RUN mamba env create -f env.yml -n ${conda_env}
diff --git a/test/integration/sampler_run_test.py b/test/integration/sampler_run_test.py
index 4544554126dab85d6340848ff27536d9fa852a25..00678539b8dd83dfa499a9ffc008dc53cac44c9e 100644
--- a/test/integration/sampler_run_test.py
+++ b/test/integration/sampler_run_test.py
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@ _sampler_kwargs = dict(
         frac_threshold=0.5,
     ),
     PTMCMCSampler=dict(Niter=101, burn=100, covUpdate=100, isave=100),
-    # remove pymc temporarily for CI issues
-    # pymc=dict(draws=50, tune=50, n_init=250),
+    pymc=dict(draws=50, tune=50, n_init=250),
     pymultinest=dict(nlive=100),
     ultranest=dict(nlive=100, temporary_directory=False),
     zeus=dict(nwalkers=10, iterations=100)