diff --git a/modin/experimental/cloud/rayscale.py b/modin/experimental/cloud/rayscale.py
index ba5f4e9673a..c77676616b9 100644
--- a/modin/experimental/cloud/rayscale.py
+++ b/modin/experimental/cloud/rayscale.py
@@ -149,12 +149,12 @@ def _conda_requirements(self):
 
         reqs.extend(self._get_python_version())
 
-        if not any(re.match(r"modin(\W|$)", p) for p in self.add_conda_packages):
-            # user didn't define modin release;
-            # use automatically detected modin release from local context
-            reqs.append(self._get_modin_version())
-
         if self.add_conda_packages:
+            if not any(re.match(r"modin(\W|$)", p) for p in self.add_conda_packages):
+                # user didn't define modin release;
+                # use automatically detected modin release from local context
+                reqs.append(self._get_modin_version())
+
             reqs.extend(self.add_conda_packages)
 
         # this is needed, for example, for dependencies that
diff --git a/modin/experimental/cloud/test/test_cloud.py b/modin/experimental/cloud/test/test_cloud.py
index f0f0d75fabf..a7e4c5b3c83 100644
--- a/modin/experimental/cloud/test/test_cloud.py
+++ b/modin/experimental/cloud/test/test_cloud.py
@@ -57,14 +57,14 @@ def make_create_or_update_cluster_mock():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def make_ray_cluster(make_bootstrap_config_mock):
-    def ray_cluster():
+    def ray_cluster(conda_packages=None):
         with mock.patch(
             "modin.experimental.cloud.rayscale._bootstrap_config",
             make_bootstrap_config_mock,
         ):
             ray_cluster = RayCluster(
                 Provider(name="aws"),
-                add_conda_packages=["scikit-learn>=0.23", "modin==0.8.0"],
+                add_conda_packages=conda_packages,
             )
         return ray_cluster
 
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ def test_create_or_update_cluster(make_ray_cluster, make_create_or_update_cluste
 def test_update_conda_requirements(setup_commands_source, make_ray_cluster):
     fake_version = namedtuple("FakeVersion", "major minor micro")(7, 12, 45)
     with mock.patch("sys.version_info", fake_version):
-        setup_commands_result = make_ray_cluster()._update_conda_requirements(
-            setup_commands_source
-        )
+        setup_commands_result = make_ray_cluster(
+            ["scikit-learn>=0.23", "modin==0.8.0"]
+        )._update_conda_requirements(setup_commands_source)
 
     assert f"python>={fake_version.major}.{fake_version.minor}" in setup_commands_result
     assert (