diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 2cc2a9eeda..0b942b1589 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ variables:
     ${BLA_VENDOR}
     ${BLA_THREADS}
     ${TA_SCALAPACK}
+    TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_URL=/root/github/madness
 
 before_script:
   # NB: if CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL is not set (i.e. using shared runner), use 1 to ensure we have enough memory
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ before_script:
   - ccache -p
   # zero out the ccache statistics
   - ccache -z
+  # update local copy of GH:madness
+  - git fetch /root/github/madness
 
 ubuntu:
   stage: build
diff --git a/cmake/modules/FindOrFetchMADWorld.cmake b/cmake/modules/FindOrFetchMADWorld.cmake
index 2dfe28705c..eb76483d99 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/FindOrFetchMADWorld.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/FindOrFetchMADWorld.cmake
@@ -47,9 +47,9 @@ if (NOT TARGET MADworld)
   include(FetchContent)
   FetchContent_Declare(
           MADNESS
-	  GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/m-a-d-n-e-s-s/madness.git
+	      GIT_REPOSITORY "${TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_URL}"
           GIT_TAG ${TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_TAG}
-	  GIT_PROGRESS TRUE
+          GIT_PROGRESS TRUE
   )
   FetchContent_MakeAvailable(MADNESS)
   FetchContent_GetProperties(MADNESS
diff --git a/external/versions.cmake b/external/versions.cmake
index 72386d61f6..c78f525179 100644
--- a/external/versions.cmake
+++ b/external/versions.cmake
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ set(TA_INSTALL_EIGEN_PREVIOUS_VERSION 3.3.7)
 set(TA_INSTALL_EIGEN_URL_HASH SHA256=b4c198460eba6f28d34894e3a5710998818515104d6e74e5cc331ce31e46e626)
 set(TA_INSTALL_EIGEN_PREVIOUS_URL_HASH MD5=b9e98a200d2455f06db9c661c5610496)
 
-set(TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_TAG bd84a52766ab497dedc2f15f2162fb0eb7ec4653)
+set(TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_URL https://github.com/m-a-d-n-e-s-s/madness.git CACHE STRING "GIT_REPOSITORY for cloning MADNESS source")
+set(TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_TAG bd84a52766ab497dedc2f15f2162fb0eb7ec4653 CACHE STRING "GIT_TAG (branch or hash) for cloning MADNESS")
 set(TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_PREVIOUS_TAG ef97ad1f0080da04f9592f03185c1a331cd5e001)
 set(TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_VERSION 0.10.1)
 set(TA_TRACKED_MADNESS_PREVIOUS_VERSION 0.10.1)