diff --git a/.gitpod.yml b/.gitpod.yml
index 0a5b5648994ae..9222639136a17 100644
--- a/.gitpod.yml
+++ b/.gitpod.yml
@@ -3,19 +3,20 @@
 # https://www.gitpod.io/docs/config-start-tasks/#configuring-the-terminal
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-# assuming we use dockerhub: name of the docker user, docker image, tag, e.g. https://hub.docker.com/r/pandas/pandas-gitpod/tags
-image: pandas/pandas-gitpod:latest
+# images for gitpod pandas are in https://hub.docker.com/r/pandas/pandas-gitpod/tags
+# we're using the Dockerfile in the base of the repo
+image:
+  file: Dockerfile
 tasks:
   - name: Prepare development environment
     init: |
       mkdir -p .vscode
       cp gitpod/settings.json .vscode/settings.json
-      conda activate pandas-dev
-      git pull --unshallow  # need to force this else the prebuild fails
       git fetch --tags
-      python setup.py build_ext --inplace -j 4
-      echo "🛠 Completed rebuilding Pandas!! 🛠 "
+      python -m pip install -ve . --no-build-isolation --config-settings editable-verbose=true
       pre-commit install
+    command: |
+      python -m pip install -ve . --no-build-isolation --config-settings editable-verbose=true
       echo "✨ Pre-build complete! You can close this terminal ✨ "
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ vscode:
     # avoid adding too many. they each open a pop-up window
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------
-# using prebuilds for the container
+# Using prebuilds for the container
 # With this configuration the prebuild will happen on push to main
 github:
   prebuilds:
diff --git a/gitpod/Dockerfile b/gitpod/Dockerfile
index a706824912174..dd4ddf64d16b4 100644
--- a/gitpod/Dockerfile
+++ b/gitpod/Dockerfile
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 # OS/ARCH: linux/amd64
 FROM gitpod/workspace-base:latest
 
-ARG MAMBAFORGE_VERSION="22.9.0-1"
+ARG MAMBAFORGE_VERSION="23.1.0-3"
 ARG CONDA_ENV=pandas-dev
 ARG PANDAS_HOME="/home/pandas"
 
diff --git a/gitpod/settings.json b/gitpod/settings.json
index 6251c55878541..2c2c3b551e1d1 100644
--- a/gitpod/settings.json
+++ b/gitpod/settings.json
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 {
-    "restructuredtext.updateOnTextChanged": "true",
-    "restructuredtext.updateDelay": 300,
+    "esbonio.server.pythonPath": "/usr/local/bin/python",
     "restructuredtext.linter.disabledLinters": ["doc8","rst-lint", "rstcheck"],
-    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "/home/gitpod/mambaforge3/envs/pandas-dev/bin/python"
+    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "/usr/local/bin/python"
 }