diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/util/gpg.py b/lib/spack/spack/util/gpg.py
index 617201aebf4..aa376bc0419 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/util/gpg.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/util/gpg.py
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ def user_run_dir(self):
         #                "file-name-too-long" errors in gpg.
 
         try:
-            has_suitable_gpgconf = bool(_GpgConstants.gpgconf_string)
+            has_suitable_gpgconf = bool(GpgConstants.gpgconf_string)
         except SpackGPGError:
             has_suitable_gpgconf = False