diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/dealii/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/dealii/package.py
index 6a719b29b027bc50f67a01d3a194b60a6a62e8ad..563f751e0b7f1c7245f564774d04e5ec51ce4d44 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/dealii/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/dealii/package.py
@@ -117,19 +117,16 @@ class Dealii(CMakePackage):
     depends_on("numdiff",     when='@develop')
     depends_on("astyle@2.04", when='@develop')
 
+    def build_type(self):
+        # CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE should be DebugRelease | Debug | Release
+        return 'DebugRelease'
+
     def cmake_args(self):
         spec = self.spec
         options = []
-        options.extend(std_cmake_args)
-
-        # CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE should be DebugRelease | Debug | Release
-        for word in options[:]:
-            if word.startswith('-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE'):
-                options.remove(word)
 
         lapack_blas = spec['lapack'].lapack_libs + spec['blas'].blas_libs
         options.extend([
-            '-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=DebugRelease',
             '-DDEAL_II_COMPONENT_EXAMPLES=ON',
             '-DDEAL_II_WITH_THREADS:BOOL=ON',
             '-DBOOST_DIR=%s' % spec['boost'].prefix,
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/everytrace-example/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/everytrace-example/package.py
index 8a85423192b82ec27e2c7fee0ea7739be1f5d884..8c49e04634ad48e585f34590c489d9530cf7b9ea 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/everytrace-example/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/everytrace-example/package.py
@@ -39,8 +39,5 @@ class EverytraceExample(CMakePackage):
     # Currently the only MPI this everytrace works with.
     depends_on('openmpi')
 
-    def configure_args(self):
-        return []
-
     def setup_environment(self, spack_env, env):
         env.prepend_path('PATH', join_path(self.prefix, 'bin'))
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/everytrace/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/everytrace/package.py
index ee1a05800911c8505593e1663da41d17578827ea..a3f3e2cfcee686c4a69e238139fafcf6596d9b8b 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/everytrace/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/everytrace/package.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class Everytrace(CMakePackage):
     depends_on('cmake', type='build')
     depends_on('mpi', when='+mpi')
 
-    def configure_args(self):
+    def cmake_args(self):
         spec = self.spec
         return [
             '-DUSE_MPI=%s' % ('YES' if '+mpi' in spec else 'NO'),
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/trilinos/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/trilinos/package.py
index 046a0e0fc606de3426c86caa59e0834e71421ca9..07393f9e9b9a37fc3dff86d27fee73ba5354fb1c 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/trilinos/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/trilinos/package.py
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ def cmake_args(self):
 
         cxx_flags = []
         options = []
-        options.extend(std_cmake_args)
 
         mpi_bin = spec['mpi'].prefix.bin
         # Note: -DXYZ_LIBRARY_NAMES= needs semicolon separated list of names