diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 04799a78..893597ce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          repository: "pydata/xarray"
+          repository: "dcherian/xarray"
           fetch-depth: 0 # Fetch all history for all branches and tags.
       - name: Set up conda environment
         uses: mamba-org/setup-micromamba@v1
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ jobs:
             pint>=0.22
       - name: Install xarray
         run: |
+          git checkout flox-preserve-dtype
           python -m pip install --no-deps .
       - name: Install upstream flox
         run: |
diff --git a/ci/environment.yml b/ci/environment.yml
index 82995d07..dac6880a 100644
--- a/ci/environment.yml
+++ b/ci/environment.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ dependencies:
   - pytest-pretty
   - pytest-xdist
   - syrupy
-  - xarray
   - pre-commit
   - numpy_groupies>=0.9.19
   - pooch
@@ -27,3 +26,5 @@ dependencies:
   - numba
   - numbagg>=0.3
   - hypothesis
+  - pip:
+      - git+https://github.com/dcherian/xarray.git@flox-preserve-dtype