diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cuda/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cuda/package.py
index 300dda7b38099495d1a58b546652149d33abbb2c..ff708f9a6cf41cb57551eaa64c020da4484c0ac6 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cuda/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cuda/package.py
@@ -80,15 +80,16 @@ class Cuda(Package):
     depends_on('libxml2', when='@10.1.243:')
 
     def setup_build_environment(self, env):
-        env.set('CUDAHOSTCXX', self.compiler.cxx)
         if self.spec.satisfies('@10.1.243:'):
             libxml2_home  = self.spec['libxml2'].prefix
             env.set('LIBXML2HOME', libxml2_home)
             env.append_path('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', libxml2_home.lib)
 
+    def setup_dependent_build_environment(self, env, dependent_spec):
+        env.set('CUDAHOSTCXX', dependent_spec.package.compiler.cxx)
+
     def setup_run_environment(self, env):
         env.set('CUDA_HOME', self.prefix)
-        env.set('CUDAHOSTCXX', self.compiler.cxx)
 
     def install(self, spec, prefix):
         if os.path.exists('/tmp/cuda-installer.log'):