diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests_scripts.yml b/.github/workflows/tests_scripts.yml
index 1a2b793750..9c4975c381 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests_scripts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests_scripts.yml
@@ -28,14 +28,16 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/checkout@93ea575cb5d8a053eaa0ac8fa3b40d7e05a33cc8 # v3.1.0
 
     # see https://github.com/apptainer/singularity/issues/5390#issuecomment-899111181
-    - name: install Singularity
+    - name: install Apptainer
       run: |
         sudo apt-get install alien
         alien --version
-        singularity_rpm=$(curl --silent -L https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/8/Everything/x86_64/Packages/s/ | grep singularity | sed 's/.*\(singularity[0-9._a-z-]*.rpm\).*/\1/g')
-        curl -OL https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/8/Everything/x86_64/Packages/s/$singularity_rpm
-        sudo alien -d $singularity_rpm
-        sudo apt install ./singularity*.deb
+        apptainer_rpm=$(curl --silent -L https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/8/Everything/x86_64/Packages/a/ | grep 'apptainer-[0-9]' | sed 's/.*\(apptainer[0-9._a-z-]*.rpm\).*/\1/g')
+        curl -OL https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/epel/8/Everything/x86_64/Packages/a/$apptainer_rpm
+        sudo alien -d $apptainer_rpm
+        sudo apt install ./apptainer*.deb
+        apptainer --version
+        # also check whether 'singularity' command is still provided by Apptainer installation
         singularity --version
 
     - name: test install_software_layer.sh script
diff --git a/build_container.sh b/build_container.sh
index d7e7256b4e..f8e9c6bf59 100755
--- a/build_container.sh
+++ b/build_container.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-BUILD_CONTAINER="docker://ghcr.io/eessi/build-node:debian10"
+BUILD_CONTAINER="docker://ghcr.io/eessi/build-node:debian11"
 
 if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
     echo "Usage: $0 <shell|run> <path for temporary directories>" >&2