diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-h5py/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-h5py/package.py
index 0180b658f5b6e589dc0b8e9b8a447029af7b16aa..67461babe71fb49f3c18e788783ff9f9dc213f8f 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-h5py/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/py-h5py/package.py
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ class PyH5py(Package):
     # Build dependencies
     depends_on('py-cython@0.19:')
     depends_on('pkg-config')
-    depends_on('hdf5@1.8.4:+mpi', when='+mpi')
-    depends_on('hdf5@1.8.4:~mpi', when='~mpi')
+    depends_on('hdf5@1.8.4:')
+    depends_on('hdf5+mpi', when='+mpi')
     depends_on('mpi', when='+mpi')
 
     # Build and runtime dependencies