diff --git a/templates/common/run_icon.sh b/templates/common/run_icon.sh
index a1ceaf1b74c4279d8a5b87d8662ac0b82643b315..f45e9eb4dfa0561c75455fc93adabe9feb231999 100644
--- a/templates/common/run_icon.sh
+++ b/templates/common/run_icon.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ cd ${RUNDIR}
 load_spack "%spack.init%" "%spack.root%" "%spack.url%" "%spack.branch%" "%spack.compiler%" "%spack.disable_local_config%" "%spack.user_cache_path%" "%spack.user_config_path%"
 
 # Load icon module
-spack load icon-nwp@%ICON_VERSION%
+spack load --first icon-nwp@%ICON_VERSION%
 
 # Set environment variable for eccodes-dwd definitions:
 source ${WORKDIR}/eccodes_defs.env
diff --git a/templates/real-from-dwd-ana/prepare_experiment.sh b/templates/real-from-dwd-ana/prepare_experiment.sh
index 677cc057226382c8bf54c896be1ad0803906882f..ddbd2db2d31b90a196b6f818c657a565ba12b929 100644
--- a/templates/real-from-dwd-ana/prepare_experiment.sh
+++ b/templates/real-from-dwd-ana/prepare_experiment.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ EXTERNAL_PARAMETERS_FILE=%simulation.external_parameters_filename%
 load_spack "%spack.init%" "%spack.root%" "%spack.url%" "%spack.branch%" "%spack.compiler%" "%spack.disable_local_config%" "%spack.user_cache_path%" "%spack.user_config_path%"
 
 # Load icon module needed to retrieve some data
-spack load icon-nwp@%ICON_VERSION%
+spack load --first icon-nwp@%ICON_VERSION%
 
 # Create a folder for the common inidata and go there
 COMMON_INIDATA_FOLDER=${WORKDIR}/inidata
diff --git a/templates/real-from-ideal/prepare_experiment.sh b/templates/real-from-ideal/prepare_experiment.sh
index d7f3791f9b976ae250fce203c14f7986e9ea923a..7d1cbf2b92f85b9340fcc82697b5edee37299c13 100644
--- a/templates/real-from-ideal/prepare_experiment.sh
+++ b/templates/real-from-ideal/prepare_experiment.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ RADIATION_GRID_FILE=%simulation.radiation_grid_filename%
 load_spack "%spack.init%" "%spack.root%" "%spack.url%" "%spack.branch%" "%spack.compiler%" "%spack.disable_local_config%" "%spack.user_cache_path%" "%spack.user_config_path%"
 
 # Load icon module needed to retrieve some data
-spack load icon-nwp@%ICON_VERSION%
+spack load --first icon-nwp@%ICON_VERSION%
 
 # Create a folder for the common inidata and go there
 COMMON_INIDATA_FOLDER=${WORKDIR}/inidata
diff --git a/templates/real-from-ideal/run_ideal.sh b/templates/real-from-ideal/run_ideal.sh
index b808cae786cb44fddde5f06343327194d933aac9..00eaa28ca168fa7815db23dd545d8e093b49d6d5 100644
--- a/templates/real-from-ideal/run_ideal.sh
+++ b/templates/real-from-ideal/run_ideal.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ cd ${RUNDIR}
 load_spack "%spack.init%" "%spack.root%" "%spack.url%" "%spack.branch%" "%spack.compiler%" "%spack.disable_local_config%" "%spack.user_cache_path%" "%spack.user_config_path%"
 
 # Load icon module
-spack load icon-nwp@%ICON_VERSION%
+spack load --first icon-nwp@%ICON_VERSION%
 
 # Set environment variable for eccodes-dwd definitions:
 source ${WORKDIR}/eccodes_defs.env