diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yaml b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
index 261d50b67..d55085698 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yaml
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Configure MKL
         if: ${{ matrix.matrix-backend == 'mkl' }}
         run: |
-          python -um pip install --upgrade --upgrade-strategy eager mkl
+          python -um pip install --upgrade --upgrade-strategy eager 'mkl<2024'
           python -um devtools.gha.configure_mkl
       - name: Test
         run: python -um coverage run -m unittest discover -b -q -t . -s tests
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 2e039fdea..68d6f6e8b 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ classifiers = [
 [project.optional-dependencies]
 docs = ["Sphinx>=1.8"]
 export_mpl = ["matplotlib>=1.3", "pillow>2.6"]
-matrix_mkl = ["mkl"]
+matrix_mkl = ["mkl<2024"]
 matrix_scipy = ["scipy>=0.13"]
 import_gmsh = ["meshio"]