diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/motif/add_wmluiltok_option_main.patch b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/motif/add_wmluiltok_option_main.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7aa2d8e122e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/motif/add_wmluiltok_option_main.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+diff -Naur motif-2.3.8/tools/wml/wmluiltok.l motif-2.3.8_patched/tools/wml/wmluiltok.l
+--- motif-2.3.8/tools/wml/wmluiltok.l   2024-01-18 17:19:43.997764906 -0600
++++ motif-2.3.8_patched/tools/wml/wmluiltok.l   2024-01-18 17:19:13.998702374 -0600
+@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
++%option main
+ %{
+ /*
+  * Motif
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/motif/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/motif/package.py
index 305803a0436..4fa53c7e930 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/motif/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/motif/package.py
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ class Motif(AutotoolsPackage):
     depends_on("pkgconfig", type="build")
 
     patch("add_xbitmaps_dependency.patch")
+    # ensure tools/wml/wmluiltok.c has a main function
+    patch("add_wmluiltok_option_main.patch")
 
     def patch(self):
         # fix linking the simple_app demo program