diff --git a/R/install.R b/R/install.R
index 47ffa2a67..b92226ffb 100644
--- a/R/install.R
+++ b/R/install.R
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
 install_keras <- function(...,
                           envname = "r-keras",
                           extra_packages = NULL,
-                          python_version = "3.9",
-                          backend = c("tensorflow", "jax", "pytorch")
+                          python_version = "3.9"
+                          # backend = c("tensorflow", "jax", "pytorch")
                           ) {
   # # envname = "r-keras",
   # # new_env = identical(envname, "r-keras")
@@ -52,12 +52,13 @@ install_keras <- function(...,
   # browser()
   system2 <- reticulate:::system2t
   system2("git", "pull")
-  # system2(python, c("-m pip install -r requirements.txt")) # unpin tf-nightly for Python 3.12
+  system2(python, c("-m pip install -r requirements.txt")) # unpin tf-nightly for Python 3.12
+
+  # system2(python, c("-m pip install ipython")) # for interactive debugging
+  # system2(python, c("-m pip install -r requirements-common.txt"))
+  # system2(python, c("-m pip install torch torchvision")) # needed for pip_build.py?? (but why?)
+  # system2(python, c("-m pip install tf-nightly jax[cpu]")) # unpin tf-nightly for Python 3.12
 
-  system2(python, c("-m pip install ipython")) # for interactive debugging
-  system2(python, c("-m pip install -r requirements-common.txt"))
-  system2(python, c("-m pip install torch torchvision")) # needed for pip_build.py?? (but why?)
-  system2(python, c("-m pip install tf-nightly jax[cpu]")) # unpin tf-nightly for Python 3.12
   system2(python, c("pip_build.py --install"))
   message("Done!")
 
diff --git a/man/install_keras.Rd b/man/install_keras.Rd
index 9d166aa61..fc046e015 100644
--- a/man/install_keras.Rd
+++ b/man/install_keras.Rd
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ install_keras(
   ...,
   envname = "r-keras",
   extra_packages = NULL,
-  python_version = "3.9",
-  backend = c("tensorflow", "jax", "pytorch")
+  python_version = "3.9"
 )
 }
 \arguments{
diff --git a/tests/testthat/helper-utils.R b/tests/testthat/helper-utils.R
index 821011544..b6ab41947 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/helper-utils.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/helper-utils.R
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 # 3 = INFO, WARNING, and ERROR messages are not printed
 
 
-print_keras_config <- function() {
+
+reticulate:::py_register_load_hook("keras", function() {
   print(reticulate::py_config())
   # print(keras$`__version__`)
   # print(keras$`__path__`)
@@ -20,13 +21,8 @@ print_keras_config <- function() {
   # keras$layers # force load
   # py_main$keras <- keras
   # py_eval("keras.config.disable_traceback_filtering()")
-}
+})
 
-if(reticulate::py_available()) {
-  print_keras_config()
-} else {
-  setHook("reticulate.onPyInit", print_keras_config)
-}
 
 if (reticulate::py_module_available("tensorflow")) {
   # force verbose tf init messages early