diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/provider_index.py b/lib/spack/spack/provider_index.py
index 20595867a41..db5f5d23098 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/provider_index.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/provider_index.py
@@ -240,8 +240,8 @@ def from_json(stream, repository):
         index.providers = _transform(
             providers,
             lambda vpkg, plist: (
-                spack.spec.SpecfileV5.from_node_dict(vpkg),
-                set(spack.spec.SpecfileV5.from_node_dict(p) for p in plist),
+                spack.spec.SpecfileLatest.from_node_dict(vpkg),
+                set(spack.spec.SpecfileLatest.from_node_dict(p) for p in plist),
             ),
         )
         return index
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
index c7b4b5651dc..474e256d2e9 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/spec.py
@@ -5103,6 +5103,10 @@ def legacy_compiler(cls, node):
         raise RuntimeError("The 'compiler' option is unexpected in specfiles at v5 or greater")
 
 
+#: Alias to the latest version of specfiles
+SpecfileLatest = SpecfileV5
+
+
 class LazySpecCache(collections.defaultdict):
     """Cache for Specs that uses a spec_like as key, and computes lazily
     the corresponding value ``Spec(spec_like``.
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/spec_yaml.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/spec_yaml.py
index 411beb35722..2aee2a31a59 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/spec_yaml.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/spec_yaml.py
@@ -504,3 +504,10 @@ def test_pickle_roundtrip_for_abstract_specs(spec_str):
     t = pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(s))
     assert s == t
     assert str(s) == str(t)
+
+
+def test_specfile_alias_is_updated():
+    """Tests that the SpecfileLatest alias gets updated on a Specfile version bump"""
+    specfile_class_name = f"SpecfileV{spack.spec.SPECFILE_FORMAT_VERSION}"
+    specfile_cls = getattr(spack.spec, specfile_class_name)
+    assert specfile_cls is spack.spec.SpecfileLatest