diff --git a/nrn_requirements.txt b/nrn_requirements.txt
index 1de5573095..9e8dff14f6 100644
--- a/nrn_requirements.txt
+++ b/nrn_requirements.txt
@@ -4,10 +4,7 @@ setuptools<=70.3.0
 scikit-build
 matplotlib
 ipython
-cython
-packaging
-pytest<=8.1.1 # potential bug from 8.2.0 due to parallelism?
-pytest-cov
 mpi4py<4 # MUSIC not compatible with MPI 4
-numpy
 find_libpython
+-r packaging/python/build_requirements.txt
+-r packaging/python/test_requirements.txt
diff --git a/packaging/python/build_wheels.bash b/packaging/python/build_wheels.bash
index eeebf32f21..abea2dcb5b 100755
--- a/packaging/python/build_wheels.bash
+++ b/packaging/python/build_wheels.bash
@@ -25,11 +25,15 @@ fi
 
 py_ver=""
 
+# path to the (temp) requirements file containing all of the build dependencies
+# for NEURON and its submodules
+python_requirements_path="$(mktemp -d)/requirements.txt"
+
 clone_nmodl_and_add_requirements() {
     git config --global --add safe.directory /root/nrn
     git submodule update --init --recursive --force --depth 1 -- external/nmodl
     # We only want the _build_ dependencies
-    sed -e '/^# runtime dependencies/,$ d' external/nmodl/requirements.txt >> my_requirements.txt
+    sed -e '/^# runtime dependencies/,$ d' external/nmodl/requirements.txt >> "${python_requirements_path}"
 }
 
 
@@ -61,7 +65,7 @@ build_wheel_linux() {
 
     echo " - Installing build requirements"
     pip install auditwheel
-    cp packaging/python/build_requirements.txt my_requirements.txt
+    cp packaging/python/build_requirements.txt "${python_requirements_path}"
 
     CMAKE_DEFS="NRN_MPI_DYNAMIC=$3"
     if [ "$USE_STATIC_READLINE" == "1" ]; then
@@ -74,8 +78,8 @@ build_wheel_linux() {
         CMAKE_DEFS="${CMAKE_DEFS},LINK_AGAINST_PYTHON=OFF,CORENRN_ENABLE_OPENMP=ON"
     fi
 
-    cat my_requirements.txt
-    pip install -r my_requirements.txt
+    cat "${python_requirements_path}"
+    pip install -r "${python_requirements_path}"
     pip check
 
     echo " - Building..."
@@ -116,7 +120,7 @@ build_wheel_osx() {
     (( $skip )) && return 0
 
     echo " - Installing build requirements"
-    cp packaging/python/build_requirements.txt my_requirements.txt
+    cp packaging/python/build_requirements.txt "${python_requirements_path}"
 
     CMAKE_DEFS="NRN_MPI_DYNAMIC=$3"
     if [ "$USE_STATIC_READLINE" == "1" ]; then
@@ -129,8 +133,8 @@ build_wheel_osx() {
         CMAKE_DEFS="${CMAKE_DEFS},LINK_AGAINST_PYTHON=OFF"
     fi
 
-    cat my_requirements.txt
-    pip install -U delocate -r my_requirements.txt
+    cat "${python_requirements_path}"
+    pip install -U delocate -r "${python_requirements_path}"
     pip check
 
     echo " - Building..."
diff --git a/packaging/python/test_requirements.txt b/packaging/python/test_requirements.txt
index 6dbabce060..8f4d5c74aa 100644
--- a/packaging/python/test_requirements.txt
+++ b/packaging/python/test_requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,5 @@
-pytest
-setuptools;python_version>='3.12' # From 3.12, no longer installed by default
+pytest<=8.1.1 # potential bug from 8.2.0 due to parallelism?
+# for coverage
+pytest-cov
+# for RXD test
+plotly