diff --git a/.github/workflows/linux.yml b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
index 487d1546..80798c8b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/linux.yml
@@ -241,10 +241,16 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           ls *.tar.gz | xargs -I{} tar xzvf {}
           rm -v *.tar.gz
+      - name: set HIPO env vars
+        run: |
+          hipodir=$(pwd)/hipo
+          echo CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${hipodir} >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          if [ "${{ matrix.tool }}" = "make" ]; then
+            echo HIPO=${hipodir} >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          fi
       - name: build and run
         run: |
           source iguana/bin/this_iguana.sh
-          export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="'"$(pwd)/hipo"'"
           .github/test-dependent-build.sh ${{ matrix.tool }} test_data.hipo 1
 
   # documentation
diff --git a/bind/python/README.md b/bind/python/README.md
index 84e330b5..937f386f 100644
--- a/bind/python/README.md
+++ b/bind/python/README.md
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ Then install packages with:
 ```bash
 pip install -r bind/python/requirements.txt
 ```
-**Note**: If you get an error stating that `"Python.h"` cannot be found, you need to install Python development headers and static libraries; depending on your OS and package manager, the relevant package to install is something like `python3-dev` or `python3-devel`.
+- **Note**: If you get an error stating that `"Python.h"` cannot be found, you need to install Python development headers and static libraries; depending on your OS and package manager, the relevant package to install is something like `python3-dev` or `python3-devel`.
+- **Note**: These bindings may not work for Python versions below 3.10
 
 ## Building the Python Bindings
 Use the `--python` option when running `configure.py`, or edit your `build-iguana.ini` file
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 496ed071..8065d21f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ dep_include_paths    = []
 dep_pkg_config_paths = []
 # cmake dependency libraries and headers
 # FIXME: prefer `dep.get_variable(cmake: 'VARIABLE_NAME')`, but not sure if the needed variables are available...
+#        - if HIPO had a pkg-config file, we could:
+#          - get rid of this `cmake_prefix_path` loop and move `hipo_dep` into the `get_variable` loop
+#          - replace `$HIPO` in the Makefile example with a pkg-config command
+#          - remove `$HIPO` assignment in the Makefile CI job description
 foreach path : get_option('cmake_prefix_path')
   dep_lib_paths     += path / 'lib'
   dep_include_paths += path / 'include'