diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index c365dc2f..ed06b7be 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ jobs:
           create-args: >-
             mamba
             python=${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      - name: Downgrade intake-esm
+        if: matrix.python-version == '3.9'
+        run: |
+          micromamba install -y -c conda-forge intake-esm=2023.11.10
       - name: Conda and Mamba versions
         run: |
           mamba --version
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 722303ee..3c55de68 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ dependencies = [
   "geopandas",
   "h5netcdf",
   "h5py",
-  "intake-esm>=2023.07.07",
+  "intake-esm >=2023.07.07,<v2024.2.6; python_version == '3.9'",
+  "intake-esm >=2023.07.07; python_version >= '3.10'",
   "matplotlib",
   "netCDF4",
   "numcodecs",