diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/git/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/git/package.py
index 032b48320c5..5bbfb8c18e4 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/git/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/git/package.py
@@ -253,8 +253,9 @@ def setup_build_environment(self, env):
         # In that case the node in the DAG gets truncated and git DOES NOT
         # have a gettext dependency.
         if 'gettext' in self.spec:
-            env.append_flags('EXTLIBS', '-L{0} -lintl'.format(
-                self.spec['gettext'].prefix.lib))
+            if 'intl' in self.spec['gettext'].libs.names:
+                env.append_flags('EXTLIBS', '-L{0} -lintl'.format(
+                    self.spec['gettext'].prefix.lib))
             env.append_flags('CFLAGS', '-I{0}'.format(
                 self.spec['gettext'].prefix.include))