diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/giflib/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/giflib/package.py
index 9260fae3278..fc8b5b1ea9d 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/giflib/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/giflib/package.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class Giflib(MakefilePackage, SourceforgePackage):
         extension="tar.bz2",
     )
 
-    depends_on("c", type="build")  # generated
+    depends_on("c", type="build")
 
     depends_on("automake", type="build", when="@:5.2.0")
     depends_on("autoconf", type="build", when="@:5.2.0")
@@ -36,10 +36,13 @@ class Giflib(MakefilePackage, SourceforgePackage):
         "https://sourceforge.net/p/giflib/bugs/_discuss/thread/4e811ad29b/c323/attachment/Makefile.patch",
         sha256="a94e7bdd8840a31cecacc301684dfdbf7b98773ad824aeaab611fabfdc513036",
         level=0,
-        when="@5.2: platform=darwin",
+        when="@5.2.0:5.2.1 platform=darwin",
     )
     patch("bsd-head.patch")
 
+    # error: no such file or directory: 'dgif_lib.o'
+    parallel = False
+
     def prefix_and_libversion_args(self):
         args = []
         if self.spec.satisfies("@5.2.0:"):