diff --git a/lib/spack/env/cc b/lib/spack/env/cc
index c3d11357224..fb0df79d334 100755
--- a/lib/spack/env/cc
+++ b/lib/spack/env/cc
@@ -176,17 +176,17 @@ while [ -n "$1" ]; do
         -Wl,*)
             arg="${1#-Wl,}"
             # TODO: Handle multiple -Wl, continuations of -Wl,-rpath
-            if [[ $arg == '-rpath='* ]]; then
+            if [[ $arg == -rpath=* ]]; then
                 arg="${arg#-rpath=}"
                 for rpath in ${arg//,/ }; do
                     rpaths+=("$rpath")
                 done
-            elif [[ $arg == '-rpath,'* ]]; then
+            elif [[ $arg == -rpath,* ]]; then
                 arg="${arg#-rpath,}"
                 for rpath in ${arg//,/ }; do
                     rpaths+=("$rpath")
                 done
-            elif [[ $arg == '-rpath' ]]; then
+            elif [[ $arg == -rpath ]]; then
                 shift; arg="$1"
                 if [[ $arg != '-Wl,'* ]]; then
                     die "-Wl,-rpath was not followed by -Wl,*"