diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_software_layer_scripts.yml b/.github/workflows/test_software_layer_scripts.yml
index 0ce4fa2aac..681b02c686 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_software_layer_scripts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_software_layer_scripts.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ jobs:
 
             # Reference checksum
             # UPDATE THIS CHECKSUM IF AND ONLY IF WE ACTUALLY WANT TO CHANGE bot/build.sh
-            EXPECTED_CHECKSUM="622e0b4d39543aaf70ee912edd0660c3746d7a1ecb176e0d41df598155e50e21"
+            EXPECTED_CHECKSUM="d0f6b355a0dc9f00e38166ebdb5025455003aa8e258d31f37790f3adc7cb3f90"
 
             # Compute checksum
             COMPUTED_CHECKSUM=$(sha256sum bot/build.sh | awk '{print $1}')
diff --git a/bot/build.sh b/bot/build.sh
index ab16402ced..067ee56f23 100755
--- a/bot/build.sh
+++ b/bot/build.sh
@@ -5,29 +5,33 @@ set -e
 
 TOPDIR=$(dirname $(realpath $0))
 
-# Clone the commit from software-layer-scripts that corresponds to `bot/software_layer_scripts_commit`
-commit_sha=$(cat ${TOPDIR}/software_layer_scripts_commit)
-
-# Get a shallow clone first
-git clone --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/EESSI/software-layer-scripts
-
-# Fetch the relevant commit & check it out
-cd software-layer-scripts
-git fetch --depth=1 origin ${commit_sha}
-git checkout --detach ${commit_sha}
-cd ..
-
-# symlink everything, except for:
-# - common files like LICENSE and README.md
-# - 'bot' subdirectory, there we need to be a bit more careful (see below)
-for file in $(ls software-layer-scripts | egrep -v 'easystacks|LICENSE|README.md|^bot'); do
-    ln -s software-layer-scripts/${file}
-done
-
-# symlink all scripts in 'bot' subdirectory, except for bot/build.sh
-for file in $(ls software-layer-scripts/bot | grep -v '^build.sh'); do
-    ln -s ../software-layer-scripts/bot/${file} bot/${file}
-done
+# Clone the software-layer-scripts, but only if not running interactively
+# (interactive builds are done in job staging dirs prepared by the bot - they already contain a clone)
+if [[ -z "${EESSI_INTERACTIVE_BUILD}" ]]; then
+    # Clone the commit from software-layer-scripts that corresponds to `bot/software_layer_scripts_commit`
+    commit_sha=$(cat ${TOPDIR}/software_layer_scripts_commit)
+
+    # Get a shallow clone first
+    git clone --depth 1 --filter=blob:none --no-checkout https://github.com/EESSI/software-layer-scripts
+
+    # Fetch the relevant commit & check it out
+    cd software-layer-scripts
+    git fetch --depth=1 origin ${commit_sha}
+    git checkout --detach ${commit_sha}
+    cd ..
+
+    # symlink everything, except for:
+    # - common files like LICENSE and README.md
+    # - 'bot' subdirectory, there we need to be a bit more careful (see below)
+    for file in $(ls software-layer-scripts | egrep -v 'easystacks|LICENSE|README.md|^bot'); do
+        ln -s software-layer-scripts/${file}
+    done
+
+    # symlink all scripts in 'bot' subdirectory, except for bot/build.sh
+    for file in $(ls software-layer-scripts/bot | grep -v '^build.sh'); do
+        ln -s ../software-layer-scripts/bot/${file} bot/${file}
+    done
+fi
 
 # call out to bot/build.sh script from software-layer-scripts
 software-layer-scripts/bot/build.sh