diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cubelib/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cubelib/package.py
index fa437e71804..8a37906d7b5 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cubelib/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cubelib/package.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def url_for_version(self, version):
 
     def configure_args(self):
         configure_args = ["--enable-shared"]
-
+        configure_args.append("--with-frontend-zlib=%s" % self.spec["zlib"].prefix.lib)
         return configure_args
 
     def install(self, spec, prefix):
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cubew/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cubew/package.py
index 099564d785d..6b8aa968413 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cubew/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cubew/package.py
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ def url_for_version(self, version):
 
     def configure_args(self):
         configure_args = ["--enable-shared"]
+        configure_args.append("--with-frontend-zlib=%s" % self.spec["zlib"].prefix.lib)
+        configure_args.append("--with-backend-zlib=%s" % self.spec["zlib"].prefix.lib)
 
         return configure_args
 
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/scorep/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/scorep/package.py
index d78ced739a1..48720c16532 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/scorep/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/scorep/package.py
@@ -187,6 +187,9 @@ def configure_args(self):
         elif spec.satisfies("^openmpi"):
             config_args.append("--with-mpi=openmpi")
 
+        if spec.satisfies("^binutils"):
+            config_args.append("--with-libbfd=%s" % spec["binutils"].prefix)
+
         config_args.extend(
             [
                 "CFLAGS={0}".format(self.compiler.cc_pic_flag),