diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests_scripts.yml b/.github/workflows/tests_scripts.yml
index a2fb0412d8..4693e147ab 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests_scripts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests_scripts.yml
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ jobs:
         export EESSI_REPOS_CFG_DIR_OVERRIDE=${PWD}/repos
         ./eessi_container.sh --list-repos
 
-    - name: test load_easybuild_module.sh script
+    - name: test load_easybuild_module.sh script with software.eessi.io
       run: |
         # bind current directory into container as /software-layer
         export SINGULARITY_BIND="${PWD}:/software-layer"
@@ -79,6 +79,50 @@ jobs:
 
           chmod u+x ${test_script}
 
+          # run wrapper script + capture & check output
+          out="${PWD}/eb-${EB_VERSION}.out"
+          export EESSI_REPOS_CFG_DIR_OVERRIDE=${PWD}/repos
+          export EESSI_CVMFS_REPO_OVERRIDE="/cvmfs/software.eessi.io"
+          ./eessi_container.sh --access rw --mode run --verbose --repository EESSI /software-layer/run_in_compat_layer_env.sh /software-layer/eb-${EB_VERSION}.sh 2>&1 | tee ${out}
+          pattern="^This is EasyBuild ${EB_VERSION} "
+          grep "${pattern}" ${out} || (echo "Pattern '${pattern}' not found in output!" && exit 1)
+        done
+
+    - name: test load_easybuild_module.sh script
+      run: |
+        # bind current directory into container as /software-layer
+        export SINGULARITY_BIND="${PWD}:/software-layer"
+
+        # can't test with EasyBuild versions older than v4.5.2 when using EESSI 2023.06,
+        # since Python in compat layer is Python 3.11.x;
+        # testing with a single EasyBuild version takes a while in GitHub Actions, so stick to a single sensible version
+        for EB_VERSION in '4.8.0'; do
+          # Create script that uses load_easybuild_module.sh which we can run in compat layer environment
+          # note: Be careful with single vs double quotes below!
+          #       ${EB_VERSION} should be expanded, so use double quotes;
+          #       For statements using variables that are only defined in the script, like ${EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH},
+          #       use single quotes to avoid expansion while creating the script.
+          test_script="${PWD}/eb-${EB_VERSION}.sh"
+          echo '#!/bin/bash' > ${test_script}
+          # both $EB and $TMPDIR environment must be set, required by load_easybuild_module.sh script
+          echo 'export EB="eb"' >> ${test_script}
+          echo 'export TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)' >> ${test_script}
+          # set up environment to have utility functions in place that load_easybuild_module.sh script relies on,
+          # along with $EESSI_* environment variables, and Lmod
+          echo 'ls -l /software-layer/' >> ${test_script}
+          echo 'source /software-layer/scripts/utils.sh' >> ${test_script}
+          echo 'source /software-layer/init/eessi_environment_variables' >> ${test_script}
+          echo 'source ${EPREFIX}/usr/share/Lmod/init/bash' >> ${test_script}
+          # minimal configuration for EasyBuild so we can test installation aspect of load_easybuild_module.sh script
+          echo "export EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH=/tmp/eb-${EB_VERSION}" >> ${test_script}
+          echo 'module use ${EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH}/modules/all' >> ${test_script}
+          echo '' >> ${test_script}
+          echo "source /software-layer/load_easybuild_module.sh ${EB_VERSION}" >> ${test_script}
+          echo 'module list' >> ${test_script}
+          echo 'eb --version' >> ${test_script}
+
+          chmod u+x ${test_script}
+
           # run wrapper script + capture & check output
           out="${PWD}/eb-${EB_VERSION}.out"
           export EESSI_REPOS_CFG_DIR_OVERRIDE=${PWD}/repos
diff --git a/EESSI-install-software.sh b/EESSI-install-software.sh
index eb616b1311..df47df4e9c 100755
--- a/EESSI-install-software.sh
+++ b/EESSI-install-software.sh
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ fi
 # Set all the EESSI environment variables (respecting $EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR_OVERRIDE)
 # $EESSI_SILENT - don't print any messages
 # $EESSI_BASIC_ENV - give a basic set of environment variables
-EESSI_SILENT=1 EESSI_BASIC_ENV=1 source $TOPDIR/init/eessi_environment_variables
+# EESSI_SILENT=1 EESSI_BASIC_ENV=1 source $TOPDIR/init/eessi_environment_variables
+EESSI_BASIC_ENV=1 source $TOPDIR/init/eessi_environment_variables
 
 if [[ -z ${EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR} ]]; then
     fatal_error "Failed to determine software subdirectory?!"
diff --git a/easystacks/pilot.nessi.no/2023.06/eessi-2023.06-eb-4.8.2-001-system.yml b/easystacks/pilot.nessi.no/2023.06/eessi-2023.06-eb-4.8.2-001-system.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a7bce002c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/easystacks/pilot.nessi.no/2023.06/eessi-2023.06-eb-4.8.2-001-system.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+easyconfigs:
+  - EasyBuild-4.9.0.eb:
+      options:
+        from-pr: 19464
diff --git a/eessi_container.sh b/eessi_container.sh
index 6e68524edb..149387f4ad 100755
--- a/eessi_container.sh
+++ b/eessi_container.sh
@@ -576,6 +576,7 @@ declare -a EESSI_FUSE_MOUNTS=()
 
 # always mount cvmfs-config repo (to get access to software.eessi.io)
 # Commented out intentionally EESSI_FUSE_MOUNTS+=("--fusemount" "container:cvmfs2 cvmfs-config.cern.ch /cvmfs/cvmfs-config.cern.ch")
+EESSI_FUSE_MOUNTS+=("--fusemount" "container:cvmfs2 cvmfs-config.cern.ch /cvmfs/cvmfs-config.cern.ch")
 
 if [[ "${ACCESS}" == "ro" ]]; then
   export EESSI_READONLY="container:cvmfs2 ${repo_name} /cvmfs/${repo_name}"
diff --git a/load_easybuild_module.sh b/load_easybuild_module.sh
index d1bfd18bb5..e8fd762c13 100755
--- a/load_easybuild_module.sh
+++ b/load_easybuild_module.sh
@@ -55,7 +55,15 @@ else
     EB_TMPDIR=${TMPDIR}/ebtmp
     echo ">> Temporary installation (in ${EB_TMPDIR})..."
     pip_install_out=${TMPDIR}/pip_install.out
+    which pip3
     pip3 install --prefix ${EB_TMPDIR} easybuild &> ${pip_install_out}
+    if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
+      echo "pip3 installing easybuild failed; see command output below"
+      cat ${pip_install_out}
+    else
+      echo "pip3 installing easybuild succeeded; see command output below"
+      cat ${pip_install_out}
+    fi
 
     # keep track of original $PATH and $PYTHONPATH values, so we can restore them
     ORIG_PATH=${PATH}
@@ -67,8 +75,23 @@ else
     eb_install_out=${TMPDIR}/eb_install.out
     ok_msg="Latest EasyBuild release installed, let's go!"
     fail_msg="Installing latest EasyBuild release failed, that's not good... (output: ${eb_install_out})"
-    ${EB} --install-latest-eb-release 2>&1 | tee ${eb_install_out}
-    check_exit_code $? "${ok_msg}" "${fail_msg}"
+    which ${EB}
+    ${EB} --debug --install-latest-eb-release 2>&1 | tee ${eb_install_out}
+    exit_code=$?
+    if [[ $exit_code -ne 0 ]]; then
+      # show last log
+      echo "show last log: cat $(${EB} --last-log)"
+      cat $(${EB} --last-log)
+
+      # retry: wait a minute, then rerun command
+      date
+      SLEEP=60
+      echo "first attempt failed, retrying it after waiting $SLEEP seconds"
+      sleep $SLEEP
+      date
+      ${EB} --debug --install-latest-eb-release 2>&1 | tee -a ${eb_install_out}
+    fi
+    check_exit_code ${exit_code} "${ok_msg}" "${fail_msg}"
 
     # maybe the module obtained with --install-latest-eb-release is exactly the EasyBuild version we wanted?
     IGNORE_CACHE=''