diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 734f6a896..943441b35 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ variables:
   GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: recursive
   SPINER_GCC_VERSION: "9.3.0"
   SPINER_CUDA_VERSION: "11.6.0"
-  SPINER_SPACK_SPEC: "spiner@main+python%gcc@${SPINER_GCC_VERSION}"
+  SPINER_SPACK_SPEC: "spiner@main+python+test%gcc@${SPINER_GCC_VERSION}"
   COLOR_CYAN: "\e[1;36m"
   COLOR_PLAIN: "\e[0m"
   # set to different spack upstream for testing
diff --git a/spack-repo/packages/spiner/package.py b/spack-repo/packages/spiner/package.py
index e34fd43fb..b6f730fb5 100644
--- a/spack-repo/packages/spiner/package.py
+++ b/spack-repo/packages/spiner/package.py
@@ -51,9 +51,12 @@ class Spiner(CMakePackage, CudaPackage):
 
     variant("python", default=False, description="Python, Numpy & Matplotlib Support")
 
+    variant("test", default=False, description="Build tests")
+
     depends_on("cmake@3.12:", when="@:1.5.1")
     depends_on("cmake@3.19:", when="@1.6.0:")
-    depends_on("catch2@2.13.4:2.13.9")
+    depends_on("catch2@3.0.1:", when="@main +test")
+    depends_on("catch2@2.13.4:2.13.9", when="@:1.6.2 +test")
     depends_on("ports-of-call@1.2.0:", when="@:1.5.1")
     depends_on("ports-of-call@1.5.1:", when="@1.6.0:")
     depends_on("ports-of-call@main", when="@main")
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index bb84c5c5e..efb63dd6e 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
 
 spiner_content_declare(Catch2
   GIT_REPO       https://github.com/catchorg/Catch2.git
-  GIT_TAG        v2.13.7
+  GIT_TAG        v3.0.1 # or any later release
+  EXPECTED_TARGETS Catch2::Catch2
   NAMESPACE spinerTest
 )
 
diff --git a/test/test.cpp b/test/test.cpp
index f6b8edb62..d6c28a990 100644
--- a/test/test.cpp
+++ b/test/test.cpp
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@
 #include "hdf5_hl.h"
 #endif
 
-#define CATCH_CONFIG_RUNNER
-#include "catch2/catch.hpp"
+#include <catch2/catch_session.hpp>
+#include <catch2/catch_test_macros.hpp>
 
 using DataBox = Spiner::DataBox<Real>;
 using Spiner::IndexType;