diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pflotran/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pflotran/package.py
index 347f792453ed0f5bd6362e5274dae84e6ec32dd8..fc7069304104cd5d9ebf480c5ce33625892888ce 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pflotran/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/pflotran/package.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class Pflotran(AutotoolsPackage):
             commmit='4734cf5e606b')    
 
     depends_on('mpi')
-    depends_on('hdf5@1.8.12+mpi+fortran')
+    depends_on('hdf5@1.8.12:+mpi+fortran')
     depends_on('petsc@develop+hdf5+metis',when='@develop')
     depends_on('petsc@for-pflotran-0.1.0+hdf5+metis',when='@0.1.0')