diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/samtools/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/samtools/package.py
index 95949a86c64..b2d8748d4e7 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/samtools/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/samtools/package.py
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ class Samtools(Package):
     depends_on('htslib@1.6',   when='@1.6')
     depends_on('htslib@1.4',   when='@1.4')
     depends_on('htslib@1.3.1', when='@1.3.1')
-    depends_on('zlib', when='@1.7:')
-    depends_on('bzip2', when='@1.7:')
+    depends_on('zlib')
+    depends_on('bzip2')
 
     def install(self, spec, prefix):
         if self.spec.version >= Version('1.3.1'):