diff --git a/templates/common/build_icon.sh b/templates/common/build_icon.sh
index 7b1796b67a6b7a8dfe68038cd4462278c6530f96..433ea712d4d6c4008e9ba36effbcd26664a6937c 100644
--- a/templates/common/build_icon.sh
+++ b/templates/common/build_icon.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ SPACK_BUILD_ICON="%spack.build_cmd%"
 if [ ! -z "$SPACK_BUILD_ICON" ]; then
   echo "Installing ICON with spack!"
   echo "cmd=$SPACK_BUILD_ICON"
-  spack repo add ${WORKDIR}/proj/spack_repo
+  # In case the autosubmit repository with the icon-nwp receipt doesn't exist, add it
+  if [ $(spack repo list | grep autosubmit-icon-repository -q) ]; then
+    spack repo add ${WORKDIR}/proj/spack_repo
+  fi
   spack install $SPACK_BUILD_ICON
   spack load $SPACK_BUILD_ICON
 else