diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cc.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cc.py
index e9aea962085..aaae00ab9f0 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cc.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cc.py
@@ -216,16 +216,13 @@ def check_args_contents(cc, args, must_contain, must_not_contain):
             assert a not in cc_modified_args
 
 
-def check_env_var(executable, var, expected):
-    """Check environment variables updated by the passed compiler wrapper
-
-    This assumes that cc will print debug output when it's environment
-    contains SPACK_TEST_COMMAND=dump-env-<variable-to-debug>
-    """
-    executable = Executable(str(executable))
-    with set_env(SPACK_TEST_COMMAND="dump-env-" + var):
-        output = executable(*test_args, output=str).strip()
-        assert executable.path + ": " + var + ": " + expected == output
+def check_wrapper_var(exe, *args, var, expected):
+    """Check variables set by the compiler wrapper. This works by setting SPACK_TEST_COMMAND to
+    dump-var-<variable-to-debug>, which will print the variable and exit."""
+    executable = Executable(str(exe))
+    with set_env(SPACK_TEST_COMMAND=f"dump-var-{var}"):
+        output = executable(*args, output=str).strip()
+        assert f"{executable.path}: {var}: {expected}" == output
 
 
 def dump_mode(cc, args):
@@ -749,11 +746,22 @@ def test_system_path_cleanup(wrapper_environment, wrapper_dir):
     """
     cc = wrapper_dir / "cc"
     system_path = "/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin"
-    with set_env(SPACK_COMPILER_WRAPPER_PATH=str(wrapper_dir), SPACK_CC="true"):
+    with set_env(SPACK_COMPILER_WRAPPER_PATH=str(wrapper_dir)):
         with set_env(PATH=str(wrapper_dir) + ":" + system_path):
-            check_env_var(cc, "PATH", system_path)
+            check_wrapper_var(cc, *test_args, var="PATH", expected=system_path)
         with set_env(PATH=str(wrapper_dir) + "/:" + system_path):
-            check_env_var(cc, "PATH", system_path)
+            check_wrapper_var(cc, *test_args, var="PATH", expected=system_path)
+
+
+def test_language_from_flags(wrapper_environment, wrapper_dir):
+    """Tes that the compiler language mode is determined by -x/--language flags if present"""
+    cc = wrapper_dir / "cc"
+
+    for flag_value, lang in [("c", "CC"), ("c++", "CXX"), ("f77", "F77"), ("f95", "FC")]:
+        check_wrapper_var(cc, "-c", "file", "-x", flag_value, var="comp", expected=lang)
+        check_wrapper_var(cc, "-c", "file", f"-x{flag_value}", var="comp", expected=lang)
+        check_wrapper_var(cc, "-c", "file", f"--language={flag_value}", var="comp", expected=lang)
+        check_wrapper_var(cc, "-c", "file", "--language", flag_value, var="comp", expected=lang)
 
 
 def test_ld_deps_partial(wrapper_environment, wrapper_dir):
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/compiler-wrapper/cc.sh b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/compiler-wrapper/cc.sh
index 3cfb0ffbf86..31ae442ed13 100755
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/compiler-wrapper/cc.sh
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/compiler-wrapper/cc.sh
@@ -178,9 +178,10 @@ execute() {
                 unset IFS
                 exit
                 ;;
-            dump-env-*)
-                var=${SPACK_TEST_COMMAND#dump-env-}
+            dump-var-*)
+                var=${SPACK_TEST_COMMAND#dump-var-}
                 eval "printf '%s\n' \"\$0: \$var: \$$var\""
+                exit
                 ;;
             *)
                 die "Unknown test command: '$SPACK_TEST_COMMAND'"
@@ -296,9 +297,36 @@ fi
 # Note. SPACK_ALWAYS_XFLAGS are applied for all compiler invocations,
 # including version checks (SPACK_XFLAGS variants are not applied
 # for version checks).
-command="${0##*/}"
+command_from_argv0="${0##*/}"
+command="$command_from_argv0"
 comp="CC"
 vcheck_flags=""
+
+_command_from_flags() {
+    while [ $# -ne 0 ]; do
+        arg="$1"
+        shift
+        case "$arg" in
+            -x|--language)
+                _lang="$1"
+                shift ;;
+            -x*)
+                _lang="${arg#-x}" ;;
+            --language=*)
+                _lang="${arg#--language=}" ;;
+            *) continue ;;
+        esac
+    done
+
+    case "$_lang" in
+        c) command=cc ;;
+        c++|f77|f95) command="$_lang" ;;
+        *) command="$command_from_argv0" ;;  # drop unknown languages
+    esac
+}
+
+_command_from_flags "$@"
+
 case "$command" in
     cpp)
         mode=cpp
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/compiler-wrapper/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/compiler-wrapper/package.py
index e4a5e77abcd..a5362fb2cc0 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/compiler-wrapper/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/compiler-wrapper/package.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class CompilerWrapper(Package):
     if sys.platform != "win32":
         version(
             "1.0",
-            sha256="c65a9d2b2d4eef67ab5cb0684d706bb9f005bb2be94f53d82683d7055bdb837c",
+            sha256="db44e5898aa9b8605e3cfe53a51649b4df504066f0f13562432f584fc88a5038",
             expand=False,
         )
     else: