diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index f2a4c80c9..884f0807a 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ def docs(session: nox.Session) -> None:
     """Build the documentation and place in docs/_build/html. Use --no-compile to skip compilation."""
     if _should_install(session):
         session.install("-e", ".[doc]")
+        # until this is solved: https://github.com/executablebooks/MyST-NB/issues/543
+        # change the version here to prevent issues in the pypi and conda releases
+        session.install("MyST-NB @ git+https://github.com/executablebooks/MyST-NB.git")
         session.install("sphinx-theme-builder[cli]")
     if "no-compile" not in session.posargs:
         session.run("stb", "compile")
@@ -87,6 +90,9 @@ def docs_live(session: nox.Session) -> None:
     session.run(*split("pybabel compile -d src/pydata_sphinx_theme/locale -D sphinx"))
     if _should_install(session):
         session.install("-e", ".[doc]")
+        # until this is solved: https://github.com/executablebooks/MyST-NB/issues/543
+        # change the version here to prevent issues in the pypi and conda releases
+        session.install("MyST-NB @ git+https://github.com/executablebooks/MyST-NB.git")
         # quick hack to get the patched version of stb - need to remove once a stb release is cut
         session.install(
             "sphinx-theme-builder[cli]@git+https://github.com/pradyunsg/sphinx-theme-builder#egg=d9f620b"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 1b7569bd7..baf98e44e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ classifiers = [
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
 doc = [
+  "sphinx>=7",
   "numpydoc",
   "myst-nb",
   "linkify-it-py", # for link shortening
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ doc = [
   "sphinx-copybutton",
   "sphinx-design",
   "sphinx-togglebutton",
-  "jupyterlite-sphinx",
+  "jupyterlite-sphinx>=0.9.3",
   "sphinxcontrib-youtube",
   "sphinx-favicon>=1.0.1",
   # Install nbsphinx in case we want to test it locally even though we can't load