diff --git a/continuous_integration/install_flexiblas.sh b/continuous_integration/install_flexiblas.sh
index 5ae8ca4f..45497715 100755
--- a/continuous_integration/install_flexiblas.sh
+++ b/continuous_integration/install_flexiblas.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ cmake ../ -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$ABS_PATH"/flexiblas_install" \
     -DCMAKE_Fortran_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache \
     -DBLAS_AUTO_DETECT="OFF" \
     -DEXTRA="OPENBLAS_CONDA" \
-    -DFLEXIBLAS_DEFAULT="OPENBLAS_CONDA" \
+    -DFLEXIBLAS_DEFAULT_BLAS="OPENBLAS_CONDA" \
     -DTESTS=OFF \
     -DOPENBLAS_CONDA_LIBRARY=$CONDA_PREFIX"/lib/libopenblas"$EXTENSION
 
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ fi
 
 # Check that all 3 BLAS are listed in FlexiBLAS configuration
 $ABS_PATH/flexiblas_install/bin/flexiblas list
+
+# FlexiBLAS silently falls back to NETLIB if the requested default is
+# ignored (e.g. when the CMake option is renamed upstream).
+grep -rq "default = OPENBLAS_CONDA" $ABS_PATH/flexiblas_install/etc/
 popd
 popd
 
diff --git a/tests/empirical_scope_observation.py b/tests/empirical_scope_observation.py
index edf505c0..76d0aefe 100644
--- a/tests/empirical_scope_observation.py
+++ b/tests/empirical_scope_observation.py
@@ -98,10 +98,12 @@ def run(which: str) -> None:
 
     num_python_threads = 10 * cpu_count()
     count_threads = start_counting_threads()
-    if not func(num_python_threads):
-        count_threads()
+    try:
+        available = func(num_python_threads)
+    finally:
+        max_num_threads = count_threads()
+    if not available:
         return
-    max_num_threads = count_threads()
 
     # We're creating os.cpu_count() * 10 Python threads, and asking for 2
     # native threads. If number is close to number of Python threads, we'll