diff --git a/.github/workflows/core-test.yml b/.github/workflows/core-test.yml
index 1d14e9d86..1db158fc1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/core-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/core-test.yml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ jobs:
         os: ["ubuntu-latest", "windows-latest"]
         # "macos-latest",
         python-version: ['3.9', '3.10', '3.11', '3.12', '3.13']
-        numpy-version: ['1.22.4', '1.23.5', '1.24.4', '1.25.1', '1.26.4', '2.0.2',]
+        numpy-version: ['1.22.4', '1.23.5', '1.24.4', '1.25.1', '1.26.4', '2.0.2','2.1']
         exclude:
            - python-version: '3.9'
              numpy-version: '2.1'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/io-test.yml b/.github/workflows/io-test.yml
index 129f8c3f7..5a4259a2a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/io-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/io-test.yml
@@ -19,12 +19,7 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: true
       matrix:
         python-version: ['3.9', '3.12']
-        numpy-version: ['1.26.4', '2.0.2']
-        exclude:
-          - python-version: '3.12'
-            numpy-version: '1.26.4'
-          - python-version: '3.9'
-            numpy-version: '2.0.2'
+        numpy-version: ['1.26.4',]
     defaults:
       # by default run in bash mode (required for conda usage)
       run:
diff --git a/neo/test/coretest/test_spiketrain.py b/neo/test/coretest/test_spiketrain.py
index 6636c173f..3b63973af 100644
--- a/neo/test/coretest/test_spiketrain.py
+++ b/neo/test/coretest/test_spiketrain.py
@@ -315,6 +315,9 @@ def test__create_from_quantity_array(self):
 
     def test__create_from_quantity_array_with_dtype(self):
         times = np.arange(10, dtype="f4") * pq.ms
+        # this step is required for NumPy 2.0 which now casts to float64 in the case either value/array
+        # is float64 even if not necessary
+        # https://numpy.org/devdocs/numpy_2_0_migration_guide.html
         times = times.astype(dtype="f4")
         t_start = 0.0 * pq.s
         t_stop = 12.0 * pq.ms