diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index b394f5f975a9..a637fe545466 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ install:
 test_script:
   # Now build the thing..
   - set LINK=/LIBPATH:%cd%\lib
-  - pip install -v --no-build-isolation --config-settings=setup-args="--vsenv" --editable .[dev]
+  - pip install -v --no-build-isolation --editable .[dev]
   # this should show no freetype dll...
   - set "DUMPBIN=%VS140COMNTOOLS%\..\..\VC\bin\dumpbin.exe"
   - '"%DUMPBIN%" /DEPENDENTS lib\matplotlib\ft2font*.pyd | findstr freetype.*.dll && exit /b 1 || exit /b 0'
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index 7593700f247a..0574c11737ce 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ channels:
 dependencies:
   # runtime dependencies
   - cairocffi
+  - c-compiler
+  - cxx-compiler
   - contourpy>=1.0.1
   - cycler>=0.10.0
   - fonttools>=4.22.0