diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/vtk-m/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/vtk-m/package.py
index 7033013c1ee..765cda84c84 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/vtk-m/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/vtk-m/package.py
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ def cmake_args(self):
                 os.environ["TBB_ROOT"] = spec["tbb"].prefix
 
             if "+kokkos" in spec and "+rocm" in spec and spec.satisfies("^kokkos@4:"):
-                options.append(f"-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:BOOL={spec['hip'].prefix.bin.hipcc}")
+                options.append(f"-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER:FILEPATH={spec['hip'].prefix.bin.hipcc}")
 
             # Support for relocatable code
             if "~shared" in spec and "+fpic" in spec: