diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_with_MFEM_master.yml b/.github/workflows/test_with_MFEM_master.yml
index 222c1fbd..4459ed91 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_with_MFEM_master.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_with_MFEM_master.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
 
         include:
            - os: macos-latest
-             python-version: 3.9
+             python-version: 3.11
              env: {USE_FLAGS: "000"}
 #           - os: [ubuntu-20.04]
 #             python-version: 3.9
diff --git a/mfem/_ser/setup.py b/mfem/_ser/setup.py
index 9ade870b..84b36862 100644
--- a/mfem/_ser/setup.py
+++ b/mfem/_ser/setup.py
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ def get_extensions():
 
     # this forces to use compiler written in setup_local.py
     if cc_ser != '':
-        os.environ['CC'] = "echo "#cc_ser
+        os.environ['CC'] = cc_ser
     if cxx_ser != '':
-        os.environ['CXX'] = "echo "#cxx_ser
+        os.environ['CXX'] = cxx_ser
 
     modules = ["io_stream", "vtk", "sort_pairs", "datacollection",
                "cpointers", "symmat",