diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/package.py
index 3b1ac8c8a4c..f1ae1d87ae3 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/clingo/package.py
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def cmake_py_shared(self):
 
     def cmake_args(self):
         try:
-            self.spec["cxx"].package.standard_flag(language="cxx", standard="14")
+            self["cxx"].standard_flag(language="cxx", standard="14")
         except UnsupportedCompilerFlag:
             InstallError("clingo requires a C++14-compliant C++ compiler")
 
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cray-mpich/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cray-mpich/package.py
index af45cde0402..c668c985c79 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cray-mpich/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cray-mpich/package.py
@@ -80,14 +80,14 @@ def setup_run_environment(self, env):
             return
 
         if self.spec.dependencies(virtuals=("c",)):
-            env.set("MPICC", self.spec["c"].package.cc)
+            env.set("MPICC", self["c"].cc)
 
         if self.spec.dependencies(virtuals=("cxx",)):
-            env.set("MPICXX", self.spec["cxx"].package.cxx)
+            env.set("MPICXX", self["cxx"].cxx)
 
         if self.spec.dependencies(virtuals=("fortran",)):
-            env.set("MPIFC", self.spec["fortran"].package.fc)
-            env.set("MPIF77", self.spec["fortran"].package.fc)
+            env.set("MPIFC", self["fortran"].fc)
+            env.set("MPIF77", self["fortran"].fc)
 
     def setup_dependent_package(self, module, dependent_spec):
         spec = self.spec
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cray-mvapich2/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cray-mvapich2/package.py
index 5c2da4c7b7e..01231b50280 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cray-mvapich2/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/cray-mvapich2/package.py
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ class CrayMvapich2(MpichEnvironmentModifications, Package):
 
     def setup_run_environment(self, env):
         if self.spec.dependencies(virtuals=("c",)):
-            env.set("MPICC", self.spec["c"].package.cc)
+            env.set("MPICC", self["c"].cc)
 
         if self.spec.dependencies(virtuals=("cxx",)):
-            env.set("MPICXX", self.spec["cxx"].package.cxx)
+            env.set("MPICXX", self["cxx"].cxx)
 
         if self.spec.dependencies(virtuals=("fortran",)):
-            env.set("MPIFC", self.spec["fortran"].package.fc)
-            env.set("MPIF77", self.spec["fortran"].package.fc)
+            env.set("MPIFC", self["fortran"].fc)
+            env.set("MPIF77", self["fortran"].fc)
 
     def install(self, spec, prefix):
         raise InstallError(
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gcc-runtime/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gcc-runtime/package.py
index 8edc4ae35e4..6be91537f6d 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gcc-runtime/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/gcc-runtime/package.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
 
     def _get_libraries_macho(self):
         """Same as _get_libraries_elf but for Mach-O binaries"""
-        cc = Executable(self.spec["gcc"].package.cc)
+        cc = Executable(self["gcc"].cc)
         path_and_install_name = []
 
         for name in self.LIBRARIES:
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/go/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/go/package.py
index 3d3a2bf64ac..cb93a7ff54a 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/go/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/go/package.py
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ def determine_version(cls, exe):
     def setup_build_environment(self, env):
         # We need to set CC/CXX_FOR_TARGET, otherwise cgo will use the
         # internal Spack wrappers and fail.
-        env.set("CC_FOR_TARGET", self.spec["c"].package.cc)
-        env.set("CXX_FOR_TARGET", self.spec["cxx"].package.cxx)
+        env.set("CC_FOR_TARGET", self["c"].cc)
+        env.set("CXX_FOR_TARGET", self["cxx"].cxx)
         env.set("GOMAXPROCS", make_jobs)
 
     def build(self, spec, prefix):
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libtheora/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libtheora/package.py
index 457c611f5bb..64fcd5d3da1 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libtheora/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libtheora/package.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def setup_build_environment(self, env):
         # devenv is needed to convert ancient MSbuild project to modern
         # msbuild project so MSBuild versions older than 2010 can build this
         # project
-        devenv_path = os.path.join(self.spec["msvc"].package.vs_root, "Common7", "IDE")
+        devenv_path = os.path.join(self.pkg["msvc"].vs_root, "Common7", "IDE")
         env.prepend_path("PATH", devenv_path)
 
     @property
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libxml2/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libxml2/package.py
index 724236b2705..c7f3c5ab40e 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libxml2/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/libxml2/package.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def url_for_version(self, version):
 
     def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
         if name == "cflags" and self.spec.satisfies("+pic"):
-            flags.append(self.spec["c"].package.pic_flag)
+            flags.append(self["c"].pic_flag)
             flags.append("-DPIC")
         return (flags, None, None)
 
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/ncurses/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/ncurses/package.py
index 451d1cc73fc..555550b7931 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/ncurses/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/ncurses/package.py
@@ -106,9 +106,9 @@ def setup_build_environment(self, env):
 
     def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
         if name == "cflags":
-            flags.append(self.spec["c"].package.pic_flag)
+            flags.append(self["c"].pic_flag)
         elif name == "cxxflags":
-            flags.append(self.spec["cxx"].package.pic_flag)
+            flags.append(self["cxx"].pic_flag)
 
         # ncurses@:6.0 fails in definition of macro 'mouse_trafo' without -P
         if self.spec.satisfies("@:6.0 %gcc@5.0:"):
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
         # ncurses@:6.0 uses dynamic exception specifications not allowed in c++17
         if self.spec.satisfies("@:5"):
             if name == "cxxflags":
-                flags.append(self.spec["cxx"].package.standard_flag(language="cxx", standard="14"))
+                flags.append(self["cxx"].standard_flag(language="cxx", standard="14"))
 
         return (flags, None, None)
 
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/nvhpc/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/nvhpc/package.py
index e7b53da0b6e..8805a0ebb03 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/nvhpc/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/nvhpc/package.py
@@ -530,11 +530,11 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
 
         makelocalrc_args = [
             "-gcc",
-            spec["gcc"].package.cc,
+            self["gcc"].cc,
             "-gpp",
-            spec["gcc"].package.cxx,
+            self["gcc"].cxx,
             "-g77",
-            spec["gcc"].package.fortran,
+            self["gcc"].fortran,
             "-x",
             compilers_bin,
         ]
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/openssl/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/openssl/package.py
index f08ebbadb0e..9b20d030613 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/openssl/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/openssl/package.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ def install(self, spec, prefix):
         if spec.satisfies("@1.0"):
             options.append("no-krb5")
         # clang does not support the .arch directive in assembly files.
-        if "clang" in self.spec["c"].package.cc and spec.target.family == "aarch64":
+        if "clang" in self["c"].cc and spec.target.family == "aarch64":
             options.append("no-asm")
         elif "%nvhpc" in spec:
             # Last tested on nvidia@22.3 for x86_64:
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/perl/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/perl/package.py
index 835b5ae89bd..76729820bf5 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/perl/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/perl/package.py
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ def do_stage(self, mirror_only=False):
     def nmake_arguments(self):
         args = []
         if self.spec.satisfies("%msvc"):
-            args.append("CCTYPE=%s" % self.spec["msvc"].package.short_msvc_version)
+            args.append("CCTYPE=%s" % self["msvc"].short_msvc_version)
         else:
             raise RuntimeError("Perl unsupported for non MSVC compilers on Windows")
         args.append("INST_TOP=%s" % windows_sfn(self.prefix.replace("/", "\\")))
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ def configure_args(self):
         # https://github.com/spack/spack/pull/3081 and
         # https://github.com/spack/spack/pull/4416
         if spec.satisfies("%intel"):
-            config_args.append("-Accflags={0}".format(self.spec["cc"].package.pic_flag))
+            config_args.append("-Accflags={0}".format(self["c"].pic_flag))
 
         if "+shared" in spec:
             config_args.append("-Duseshrplib")
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ def filter_config_dot_pm(self):
             "-MModule::Loaded", "-MConfig", "-e", "print is_loaded(Config)", output=str
         )
 
-        c_compiler = self.spec["c"].package.cc
+        c_compiler = self["c"].cc
         with self.make_briefly_writable(config_dot_pm):
             match = "cc *=>.*"
             substitute = "cc => '{cc}',".format(cc=c_compiler)
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
index d7a9f35e388..639f4ef8b62 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ def configure_args(self):
         config_args.append("--without-ensurepip")
 
         if "+pic" in spec:
-            cflags.append(self.spec["c"].package.pic_flag)
+            cflags.append(self["c"].pic_flag)
 
         if "+ssl" in spec:
             config_args.append("--with-openssl={0}".format(spec["openssl"].prefix))
@@ -809,9 +809,9 @@ def filter_compilers(self):
 
         filenames = [self.get_sysconfigdata_name(), self.config_vars["makefile_filename"]]
 
-        filter_file(spack_cc, self.spec["c"].package.cc, *filenames, **kwargs)
+        filter_file(spack_cc, self["c"].cc, *filenames, **kwargs)
         if spack_cxx:
-            filter_file(spack_cxx, self.spec["cxx"].package.cxx, *filenames, **kwargs)
+            filter_file(spack_cxx, self["cxx"].cxx, *filenames, **kwargs)
 
     @run_after("install")
     def symlink(self):
diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/zlib-ng/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/zlib-ng/package.py
index ffd10edb706..c38897ebd55 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/zlib-ng/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/zlib-ng/package.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def libs(self):
 
     def flag_handler(self, name, flags):
         if name == "cflags" and self.spec.satisfies("+pic build_system=autotools"):
-            flags.append(self.spec["c"].package.pic_flag)
+            flags.append(self["c"].pic_flag)
         return (flags, None, None)