diff --git a/EESSI-pilot-install-software.sh b/EESSI-pilot-install-software.sh
index 5646c09b03..e1b4089e2d 100755
--- a/EESSI-pilot-install-software.sh
+++ b/EESSI-pilot-install-software.sh
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@ else
     pip_install_out=${TMPDIR}/pip_install.out
     pip3 install --prefix $EB_TMPDIR easybuild &> ${pip_install_out}
 
+    # keep track of original $PATH and $PYTHONPATH values, so we can restore them
+    ORIG_PATH=$PATH
+    ORIG_PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH
+
     echo ">> Final installation in ${EASYBUILD_INSTALLPATH}..."
     export PATH=${EB_TMPDIR}/bin:$PATH
     export PYTHONPATH=$(ls -d ${EB_TMPDIR}/lib/python*/site-packages):$PYTHONPATH
@@ -161,6 +165,10 @@ else
     eb --install-latest-eb-release &> ${eb_install_out}
     check_exit_code $? "${ok_msg}" "${fail_msg}"
 
+    # restore origin $PATH and $PYTHONPATH values
+    export PATH=${ORIG_PATH}
+    export PYTHONPATH=${ORIG_PYTHONPATH}
+
     eb --search EasyBuild-${REQ_EB_VERSION}.eb | grep EasyBuild-${REQ_EB_VERSION}.eb > /dev/null
     if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
         ok_msg="EasyBuild v${REQ_EB_VERSION} installed, alright!"