diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index 3f0996e223..755c664d4f 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ dependencies:
   - nc-time-axis
   - nested-lookup
   - netcdf4
-  - numpy !=1.24.3
+  - numpy !=1.24.3,<2.0.0  # avoid pulling 2.0.0rcX
   - packaging
   - pandas !=2.2.0,!=2.2.1,!=2.2.2  # github.com/ESMValGroup/ESMValCore/pull/2305 and #2349
   - pillow
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index a675c2bc06..0a7bf9ab97 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
         'nc-time-axis',  # needed by iris.plot
         'nested-lookup',
         'netCDF4',
-        'numpy!=1.24.3',
+        'numpy!=1.24.3,<2.0.0',  # avoid pulling 2.0.0rc1
         'packaging',
         'pandas!=2.2.0,!=2.2.1,!=2.2.2',  # GH #2305 #2349 etc
         'pillow',