diff --git a/share/spack/qa/setup.sh b/share/spack/qa/setup.sh
index ad834fd4c51..9f230f0819c 100755
--- a/share/spack/qa/setup.sh
+++ b/share/spack/qa/setup.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@
 #
 
 QA_DIR="$(dirname ${BASH_SOURCE[0]})"
-export SPACK_ROOT=$(realpath "$QA_DIR/../../..")
+if realpath $QA_DIR >& /dev/null ; then
+    REALPATH=realpath
+else
+    REALPATH="readlink -f --"
+fi
+export SPACK_ROOT=$($REALPATH "$QA_DIR/../../..")
 
 # Source the setup script
 . "$SPACK_ROOT/share/spack/setup-env.sh"
@@ -28,7 +33,7 @@ if [[ "$COVERAGE" == "true" ]]; then
 
     # bash coverage depends on some other factors
     mkdir -p coverage
-    bashcov=$(realpath ${QA_DIR}/bashcov)
+    bashcov=$($REALPATH ${QA_DIR}/bashcov)
 
     # instrument scripts requiring shell coverage
     sed -i "s@#\!/bin/bash@#\!${bashcov}@" "$SPACK_ROOT/lib/spack/env/cc"