diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/petsc/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/petsc/package.py
index 823c122a8e588c1268427e5e80e1cd5946fca680..4ac96b81273a51618f127d4cdf9e3b3a1fdd37f8 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/petsc/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/petsc/package.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class Petsc(Package):
     depends_on('python @2.6:2.7')
 
     # Other dependencies
-    depends_on('boost', when='+boost')
+    depends_on('boost', when='@:3.5+boost')
     depends_on('metis@5:', when='+metis')
 
     depends_on('hdf5+mpi', when='+hdf5+mpi')
@@ -125,7 +125,9 @@ def mpi_dependent_options(self):
         return compiler_opts
 
     def install(self, spec, prefix):
-        options = ['--with-ssl=0']
+        options = ['--with-ssl=0',
+                   '--download-c2html=0',
+                   '--download-hwloc=0']
         options.extend(self.mpi_dependent_options())
         options.extend([
             '--with-precision=%s' % (