diff --git a/create_tarball.sh b/create_tarball.sh
index 9c212681a5..01f498e1ac 100755
--- a/create_tarball.sh
+++ b/create_tarball.sh
@@ -89,13 +89,17 @@ for subdir in ${cpu_arch_subdir} ${cpu_arch_subdir}/accel/${accel_subdir}; do
 done
 
 # add a bit debug output
-echo "wrote file list to ${files_list}"
-[ -r ${files_list} ] && cat ${files_list}
-echo "wrote module file list to ${module_files_list}"
-[ -r ${module_files_list} ] && cat ${module_files_list}
+if [ -r ${files_list} ]; then
+    echo "wrote file list to ${files_list}"
+    cat ${files_list}
+fi
+if [ -r ${module_files_list} ]; then
+    echo "wrote module file list to ${module_files_list}"
+    cat ${module_files_list}
 
-# Copy the module files list to current workindg dir for later use in the test step
-cp ${module_files_list} ${current_workdir}/module_files.list.txt
+    # Copy the module files list to current workindg dir for later use in the test step
+    cp ${module_files_list} ${current_workdir}/module_files.list.txt
+fi
 
 topdir=${cvmfs_repo}/versions/
 
diff --git a/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/eessi-2023.06-eb-4.9.3-2023a.yml b/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/eessi-2023.06-eb-4.9.3-2023a.yml
index 0a4a4e5554..0c863f0025 100644
--- a/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/eessi-2023.06-eb-4.9.3-2023a.yml
+++ b/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/eessi-2023.06-eb-4.9.3-2023a.yml
@@ -3,3 +3,6 @@ easyconfigs:
   - GDB-13.2-GCCcore-12.3.0.eb
   - tmux-3.3a-GCCcore-12.3.0.eb
   - Vim-9.1.0004-GCCcore-12.3.0.eb
+  - gmsh-4.12.2-foss-2023a.eb
+  - basemap-1.3.9-foss-2023a.eb
+  - geopandas-0.14.2-foss-2023a.eb
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/eb_hooks.py b/eb_hooks.py
index 79e97f6664..79bdeeee0d 100644
--- a/eb_hooks.py
+++ b/eb_hooks.py
@@ -190,7 +190,9 @@ def parse_hook_casacore_disable_vectorize(ec, eprefix):
         ):
             cpu_target = get_eessi_envvar('EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR')
             if cpu_target == CPU_TARGET_NEOVERSE_V1:
-                if not hasattr(ec, 'toolchainopts'):
+                # Make sure the toolchainopts key exists, and the value is a dict,
+                # before we add the option to disable vectorization
+                if 'toolchainopts' not in ec or ec['toolchainopts'] is None:
                     ec['toolchainopts'] = {}
                 ec['toolchainopts']['vectorize'] = False
                 print_msg("Changed toochainopts for %s: %s", ec.name, ec['toolchainopts'])
@@ -301,6 +303,22 @@ def parse_hook_ucx_eprefix(ec, eprefix):
         raise EasyBuildError("UCX-specific hook triggered for non-UCX easyconfig?!")
 
 
+def parse_hook_freeimage_aarch64(ec, *args, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Make sure to build with -fPIC on ARM to avoid
+    https://github.com/EESSI/software-layer/pull/736#issuecomment-2373261889
+    """
+    if ec.name == 'FreeImage' and ec.version in ('3.18.0',):
+        if os.getenv('EESSI_CPU_FAMILY') == 'aarch64':
+            # Make sure the toolchainopts key exists, and the value is a dict,
+            # before we add the option to enable PIC and disable PNG_ARM_NEON_OPT
+            if 'toolchainopts' not in ec or ec['toolchainopts'] is None:
+                ec['toolchainopts'] = {}
+            ec['toolchainopts']['pic'] = True
+            ec['toolchainopts']['extra_cflags'] = '-DPNG_ARM_NEON_OPT=0'
+            print_msg("Changed toolchainopts for %s: %s", ec.name, ec['toolchainopts']) 
+
+
 def parse_hook_lammps_remove_deps_for_aarch64(ec, *args, **kwargs):
     """
     Remove x86_64 specific dependencies for the CI and missing installations to pass on aarch64
@@ -803,6 +821,7 @@ def inject_gpu_property(ec):
     'casacore': parse_hook_casacore_disable_vectorize,
     'CGAL': parse_hook_cgal_toolchainopts_precise,
     'fontconfig': parse_hook_fontconfig_add_fonts,
+    'FreeImage': parse_hook_freeimage_aarch64,
     'grpcio': parse_hook_grpcio_zlib,
     'LAMMPS': parse_hook_lammps_remove_deps_for_aarch64,
     'CP2K': parse_hook_CP2K_remove_deps_for_aarch64,