diff --git a/hlrs-plumbing/scripts/xx_populate_release_directory.sh b/hlrs-plumbing/scripts/xx_populate_release_directory.sh
index 99acded..91d80e7 100755
--- a/hlrs-plumbing/scripts/xx_populate_release_directory.sh
+++ b/hlrs-plumbing/scripts/xx_populate_release_directory.sh
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ HLRS_OPT_PREFIX__USER=$(create_dir $arg_prefix)
 # Define various repo locations
 _HLRS_SPACK_REPO=file://$HOME/spack-test/dummy_repo/spack-v0.21.2.git
 _HLRS_SPACK_PLUMBING_REPO=file://$HOME/spack-test/dummy_repo/software-stack-plumbing.git
-_HLRS_SPACK_CONFIG_REPO=
+_HLRS_SPACK_CONFIG_REPO=file://$HOME/spack-test/dummy_repo/software-stack-hlrs-spack.git
 
 # bootstrap environment variables 
 # (using [bash process substitution](https://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/process-sub.html))
@@ -95,10 +95,9 @@ curl -L $_HLRS_SPACK_PLUMBING_REPO/hlrs-plumbing/scripts/xx_checkout_repo.sh | \
 _HLRS_PLUMBING_DIR=$HLRS_SOFTWARE_STACK_RELEASE_ROOT/hlrs-plumbing
 
 # setup hlrs-spack directory
-mkdir -p $HLRS_SOFTWARE_STACK_HLRS_SPACK_ROOT
-# TODO: checkout repo as soon as available; in the meantime do
-# setup hlrs-config directory
-ln -s spack/config-hlrs $HLRS_SOFTWARE_STACK_HLRS_SPACK_ROOT/config-hlrs
+$_HLRS_PLUMBING_DIR/scripts/xx_checkout_repo.sh $_HLRS_SPACK_CONFIG_REPO \
+  $HLRS_SOFTWARE_STACK_RELEASE_VERSION $HLRS_SOFTWARE_STACK_RELEASE_ROOT hlrs-spack
+
 # setup $SPACK_ROOT directory
 $_HLRS_PLUMBING_DIR/scripts/xx_checkout_repo.sh $_HLRS_SPACK_REPO \
   $HLRS_SOFTWARE_STACK_RELEASE_VERSION $HLRS_SOFTWARE_STACK_HLRS_SPACK_ROOT spack