diff --git a/conda/py-plumed/meta.yaml b/conda/py-plumed/meta.yaml
index 1331a2be828aa87ce3a1ea1b867415633fba86ed..e990bdb50f36e59a41a21dd4f149756d6d5ebea8 100644
--- a/conda/py-plumed/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda/py-plumed/meta.yaml
@@ -11,18 +11,16 @@ source:
 build:
   number: 0
   skip: True  # [win]
-  # Note: --no-deps is currently required due to https://github.com/conda/conda-build/issues/3254
-  # Once resolved, it should be removed.
-  # script: "{{ PYTHON }} -m pip install . --no-deps -vv"
 
 requirements:
+  build:
+    - {{ compiler('c') }}
+    - {{ compiler('cxx') }}
   host:
     - python
     - pip
     - cython
-
   run:
-# make sure to test with this version
     - python
 
 test:
diff --git a/conda/recipe/build.sh b/conda/recipe/build.sh
index f3c6f1f0c31bcc5ea2911faabab9809e44594dc2..fc1c13d21d440ef3edcf236ee788c2643e21bb0a 100644
--- a/conda/recipe/build.sh
+++ b/conda/recipe/build.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ else
   opt=STATIC_LIBS=-Wl,-rpath-link,$PREFIX/lib
 fi
 
+export CPPFLAGS="-D__PLUMED_DEFAULT_KERNEL=$PREFIX/lib/libplumedKernel$SHLIB_EXT $CPPFLAGS"
+
 ./configure --prefix=$PREFIX --enable-shared --disable-python --disable-external-lapack --disable-external-blas $opt
 
 make -j4
diff --git a/conda/recipe/meta.yaml b/conda/recipe/meta.yaml
index ae9c4085a2d88b8a39b86e286c9fc3f29c4d145b..dadffe83777dd68aceca06c7a04b32a5aeae4210 100644
--- a/conda/recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda/recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -7,28 +7,19 @@ package:
 
 source:
   path: ../..
-  # Tar is preferred, but a symlink therein crashes windows builds. Git is ok.
-  # url: https://github.com/plumed/{{ name }}/archive/v{{ version }}.tar.gz
-  # sha256: f4cf55c63a6798a0607f4e47eeeee7c1bc191668772c83ce4dabf3a5ba407426
 
 build:
   number: 0
   skip: True  # [win]
-  skip: True  # [py<35]
-  # Note: --no-deps is currently required due to https://github.com/conda/conda-build/issues/3254
-  # Once resolved, it should be removed.
-  # script: "{{ PYTHON }} -m pip install . --no-deps -vv"
 
 requirements:
   build:
     - {{ compiler('c') }}
     - {{ compiler('cxx') }}
-#    - ccache-toolchain
   host:
     - zlib
 # cannot link gsl on MacOS
     - gsl # [linux]
-
   run:
     - zlib
     - gsl # [linux]
@@ -39,6 +30,7 @@ test:
     - plumed info --root
     - plumed info --version
     - plumed info --long-version
+    - $PREFIX/lib/plumed/plumed-runtime -h
 
 about:
   home: http://www.plumed.org/