diff --git a/recipe/activate.sh b/recipe/activate.sh
index 74d21d7e9..90210fac0 100755
--- a/recipe/activate.sh
+++ b/recipe/activate.sh
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@
 
 # where the GDB wrappers get installed
 GDB_PREFIX=$CONDA_PREFIX/share/gdb/auto-load
+
+# If the directory is not writable, nothing can be done
+if [ ! -w $GDB_PREFIX ]; then
+    return
+fi
+
 # this needs to be in sync with the respective patch
 PLACEHOLDER=replace_this_section_with_absolute_slashed_path_to_CONDA_PREFIX
 # the paths here are intentionally stacked, see #935, resp.
diff --git a/recipe/meta.yaml b/recipe/meta.yaml
index df45f00a6..f53fcc46e 100644
--- a/recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ source:
     folder: testing
 
 build:
-  number: 5
+  number: 6
   # for cuda support, building with one version is enough to be compatible with
   # all later versions, since arrow is only using libcuda, and not libcudart.
   skip: true  # [cuda_compiler_version not in ("None", cuda_compiler_version_min)]