diff --git a/CpGenie/merged/model.py b/CpGenie/merged/model.py
index a9d775f5a..19e57a7ea 100644
--- a/CpGenie/merged/model.py
+++ b/CpGenie/merged/model.py
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ def read_txt(file_path):
 class MergedModel(BaseModel):
 
     def __init__(self):
+
+        from keras import backend as K
+        K.clear_session()
+
         self.model_names = read_txt("models.txt")
         # hard-code the path to this models
         # if we'd use `source='dir'`, then the models wouldn't
diff --git a/CpGenie/merged/model.yaml b/CpGenie/merged/model.yaml
index 0f1173414..d0920fb31 100644
--- a/CpGenie/merged/model.yaml
+++ b/CpGenie/merged/model.yaml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ default_dataloader:
     dummy_axis: 1
 dependencies:
   conda:
-    - python=3.5
+    - python=3.6
     - h5py
     - tensorflow>=1.10.0
     - keras==1.2.2
diff --git a/config.yaml b/config.yaml
index d5b3d9190..e42faf02e 100644
--- a/config.yaml
+++ b/config.yaml
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ test:
 
 dependencies:
   pip:
-    kipoi>=0.6.9
+    kipoi>=0.6.16