diff --git a/EESSI-install-software.sh b/EESSI-install-software.sh
index bb103d8c21..83c06c2184 100755
--- a/EESSI-install-software.sh
+++ b/EESSI-install-software.sh
@@ -231,54 +231,41 @@ fi
 
 echo ">> Configuring EasyBuild..."
 
-# Make sure that we use the EESSI_CVMFS_INSTALL
-# Since the path is set when loading EESSI-extend, we reload it to make sure it works - even if it is already loaded
-# Note we need to do this after running install_cuda_and_libraries, since that does installations in the EESSI_SITE_INSTALL 
+# Make sure EESSI-extend is not loaded, and configure location variables for a
+#   CVMFS installation
+module unload EESSI-extend
 unset EESSI_USER_INSTALL
 unset EESSI_PROJECT_INSTALL
 unset EESSI_SITE_INSTALL
 export EESSI_CVMFS_INSTALL=1
-module unload EESSI-extend
 
-# The EESSI-extend module is being loaded (or installed if it doesn't exist yet).
+# We now run 'source load_eessi_extend_module.sh' to load or install and load the
+#   EESSI-extend module which sets up all build environment settings.
 # The script requires the EESSI_VERSION given as argument, a couple of
-# environment variables set (TMPDIR, EB and EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH) and the
-# function check_exit_code defined.
-# NOTE, the script exits if those variables/functions are undefined.
+#   environment variables set (TMPDIR, EB and EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH) and the
+#   function check_exit_code defined.
+# NOTE 1, the script exits if those variables/functions are undefined.
+# NOTE 2, loading the EESSI-extend module may adjust the value of EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH,
+#   e.g., to point to the installation directory for accelerators.
+# NOTE 3, we have to set a default for EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH here in cases the
+#   EESSI-extend module itself needs to be installed.
 export EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH=${EESSI_PREFIX}/software/${EESSI_OS_TYPE}/${EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR_OVERRIDE}
-# Loading the EESSI-extend module may adjust the value of EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH,
-# e.g., to point to the installation directory for accelerators.
 source load_eessi_extend_module.sh ${EESSI_VERSION}
 
 # Install full CUDA SDK and cu* libraries in host_injections
 # Hardcode this for now, see if it works
 # TODO: We should make a nice yaml and loop over all CUDA versions in that yaml to figure out what to install
 # Allow skipping CUDA SDK install in e.g. CI environments
-# The install_cuda... script uses EasyBuild. So, we need to check if we have EB
-# or skip this step.
 echo "Going to install full CUDA SDK and cu* libraries under host_injections if necessary"
-module_avail_out=$TMPDIR/ml.out
-module avail 2>&1 | grep EasyBuild &> ${module_avail_out}
-if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
-    echo_green ">> Found an EasyBuild module"
-else
-    echo_yellow ">> No EasyBuild module found: skipping step to install CUDA (see output in ${module_avail_out})"
-    export skip_cuda_install=True
-fi
-
 temp_install_storage=${TMPDIR}/temp_install_storage
 mkdir -p ${temp_install_storage}
 if [ -z "${skip_cuda_install}" ] || [ ! "${skip_cuda_install}" ]; then
-    # need to ensure that some variables will be available to the script
-    #   TMPDIR, EB, EESSI_VERSION, for EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH (EESSI_PREFIX,
-    #   EESSI_OS_TYPE, EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR_OVERRIDE)
-    export TMPDIR EB EESSI_VERSION EESSI_PREFIX EESSI_OS_TYPE EESSI_SOFTWARE_SUBDIR_OVERRIDE
     ${EESSI_PREFIX}/scripts/gpu_support/nvidia/install_cuda_and_libraries.sh \
         -t ${temp_install_storage} \
         --accept-cuda-eula \
         --accept-cudnn-eula
 else
-    echo "Skipping installation of CUDA SDK and cu* libraries in host_injections, since the --skip-cuda-install flag was passed OR no EasyBuild module was found"
+    echo "Skipping installation of CUDA SDK and cu* libraries in host_injections, since the --skip-cuda-install flag was passed"
 fi
 
 # Install NVIDIA drivers in host_injections (if they exist)
diff --git a/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/rebuilds/20241112-eb-4.9.4-EESSI-extend.yml b/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/rebuilds/20241112-eb-4.9.4-EESSI-extend.yml
index 2129eebee0..e4c658784f 100644
--- a/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/rebuilds/20241112-eb-4.9.4-EESSI-extend.yml
+++ b/easystacks/software.eessi.io/2023.06/rebuilds/20241112-eb-4.9.4-EESSI-extend.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,3 @@
 # EASYBUILD_CUDA_COMPUTE_CAPABILITIES
 easyconfigs:
   - EESSI-extend-2023.06-easybuild.eb
-# the options are added to load_eessi_extend_module.sh
-#  - EESSI-extend-2023.06-easybuild.eb:
-#      options:
-#        try-amend: keeppreviousinstall=True
diff --git a/load_eessi_extend_module.sh b/load_eessi_extend_module.sh
index d3ba524053..62b6e3f3ae 100755
--- a/load_eessi_extend_module.sh
+++ b/load_eessi_extend_module.sh
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ else
 
     # source configure_easybuild to use correct eb settings
     (
-        EESSI_MAIN_DIR=$(dirname $(readlink -f $BASH_SOURCE))
-        source ${EESSI_MAIN_DIR}/configure_easybuild
+        export EASYBUILD_PREFIX=${TMPDIR}/easybuild
+        export EASYBUILD_READ_ONLY_INSTALLDIR=1
 
         echo ">> Final installation in ${EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH}..."
         export PATH=${EB_TMPDIR}/bin:${PATH}
diff --git a/scripts/gpu_support/nvidia/install_cuda_and_libraries.sh b/scripts/gpu_support/nvidia/install_cuda_and_libraries.sh
index f7405e3ca4..cd4d1daf38 100755
--- a/scripts/gpu_support/nvidia/install_cuda_and_libraries.sh
+++ b/scripts/gpu_support/nvidia/install_cuda_and_libraries.sh
@@ -77,10 +77,6 @@ done
 # Make sure EESSI is initialised
 check_eessi_initialised
 
-# Make sure that `EESSI-extend` will install in the site installation path EESSI_SITE_SOFTWARE_PATH
-export EESSI_SITE_INSTALL=1
-echo "EESSI_SITE_SOFTWARE_PATH=${EESSI_SITE_SOFTWARE_PATH}"
-
 # we need a directory we can use for temporary storage
 if [[ -z "${TEMP_DIR}" ]]; then
     tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
@@ -93,7 +89,7 @@ else
 fi
 echo "Created temporary directory '${tmpdir}'"
 
-# use EESSI_SITE_SOFTWARE_PATH/.modules/all as MODULEPATH
+# Store MODULEPATH so it can be restored at the end of each loop iteration
 SAVE_MODULEPATH=${MODULEPATH}
 
 for EASYSTACK_FILE in ${TOPDIR}/easystacks/eessi-*CUDA*.yml; do
@@ -103,8 +99,16 @@ for EASYSTACK_FILE in ${TOPDIR}/easystacks/eessi-*CUDA*.yml; do
     eb_version=$(echo ${EASYSTACK_FILE} | sed 's/.*eb-\([0-9.]*\).*/\1/g')
 
     # Load EasyBuild version for this easystack file _before_ loading EESSI-extend
-    module avail EasyBuild
+    module_avail_out=${tmpdir}/ml.out
+    module avail 2>&1 | grep EasyBuild/${eb_version} &> ${module_avail_out}
+    if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
+        echo_green ">> Found an EasyBuild/${eb_version} module"
+    else
+        echo_yellow ">> No EasyBuild/${eb_version} module found: skipping step to install easystack file ${easystack_file} (see output in ${module_avail_out})"
+        continue
+    fi
     module load EasyBuild/${eb_version}
+
     # Make sure EESSI-extend does a site install here
     # We need to reload it with the current environment variables set
     unset EESSI_CVMFS_INSTALL