diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 231c5a1ab7..d31cc9df89 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ commands:
         type: string
         default: ""
     steps:
+      - run:
+          name: Install git+ssh
+          environment:
+            DEBIAN_FRONTEND: noninteractive  # needed to install tzdata
+          command: apt update && apt install -y git ssh
       - checkout
       - check_changes
       - run:
@@ -124,10 +129,6 @@ jobs:
             - /root/.cache/pip
             - .mypy_cache
             - .pytest_cache
-      - run:
-          # Install curl for codecov upload
-          when: always
-          command: apt update && apt install -y curl
       - codecov/upload:
           when: always
           file: 'test-reports/coverage.xml'
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile.dev b/docker/Dockerfile.dev
index 4d5e42ed20..3e9165cd5b 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile.dev
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile.dev
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 # To build this container, go to ESMValCore root folder and execute:
+# This container is used to run the tests on CircleCI.
 # docker build -t esmvalcore:development . -f docker/Dockerfile.dev
 FROM condaforge/mambaforge
 
 WORKDIR /src/ESMValCore
+RUN apt update && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt install -y curl git ssh && apt clean
 COPY environment.yml .
 RUN mamba update -y conda mamba pip && mamba env create --name esmvaltool --file environment.yml && conda clean --all -y