diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hwloc/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hwloc/package.py
index 68c92b3aff5..b5f6bf99516 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hwloc/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hwloc/package.py
@@ -53,3 +53,9 @@ class Hwloc(AutotoolsPackage):
 
     def url_for_version(self, version):
         return "http://www.open-mpi.org/software/hwloc/v%s/downloads/hwloc-%s.tar.gz" % (version.up_to(2), version)
+
+    def configure_args(self):
+        # Disable OpenCL, since hwloc might pick up an OpenCL library
+        # at build time that is then not found at run time
+        # (Alternatively, we could require OpenCL as dependency.)
+        return ["--disable-opencl"]