diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
index f110700efbc..e188bb94b14 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/hdf5/package.py
@@ -188,11 +188,12 @@ def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
         cmake_flags = []
 
         if name == "cflags":
-            cc_name = os.path.basename(self.compiler.cc)
-            if "clang" in cc_name or "gcc" in cc_name:
+            if self.spec.satisfies('%gcc') \
+                    or self.spec.satisfies('%clang'):
                 # Quiet warnings/errors about implicit declaration of functions
                 # in C99:
                 cmake_flags.append("-Wno-implicit-function-declaration")
+                # Note that this flag will cause an error if building %nvhpc.
             if self.spec.satisfies('@:1.8.12~shared'):
                 # More recent versions set CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE to
                 # True and build with PIC flags.