diff --git a/.github/workflows/downstream.yml b/.github/workflows/downstream.yml
index 168b32e..5c5adc1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/downstream.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/downstream.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ jobs:
         python -m pip install --upgrade -e file://$PWD#egg=ipython[test]
         # we must instal IPython after ipykernel to get the right versions.
         python -m pip install --upgrade --upgrade-strategy eager flaky ipyparallel
-        python -m pip install --upgrade pytest 
+        python -m pip install --upgrade 'pytest<7' 
     - name: pytest
       env:
         COLUMNS: 120
diff --git a/docs/requirements.txt b/docs/requirements.txt
index 93e162f..587288c 100644
--- a/docs/requirements.txt
+++ b/docs/requirements.txt
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@ sphinx-rtd-theme
 docrepr
 matplotlib
 stack_data
-pytest
+pytest<7
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 2da02e4..4fbffaa 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ qtconsole =
     qtconsole
 terminal =
 test =
-    pytest
+    pytest<7
     pytest-asyncio
     testpath
 test_extra =
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ test_extra =
     nbformat
     numpy>=1.19
     pandas
-    pytest
+    pytest<7
     testpath
     trio
 all =