diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mlpack/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mlpack/package.py
index 348d4c50684..a2b5d3e29e3 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mlpack/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/mlpack/package.py
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ class Mlpack(CMakePackage):
     version("4.1.0", sha256="e0c760baf15fd0af5601010b7cbc536e469115e9dd45f96712caa3b651b1852a")
     version("4.0.1", sha256="4c746936ed9da9f16744240ed7b9f2815d3abb90c904071a1d1a628a9bbfb3a5")
 
-    depends_on("cxx", type="build")  # generated
-
     variant("go", default=False, description="Build Go bindings", when="@4.5.1:")
     variant("julia", default=False, description="Build Julia bindings")
     variant("python", default=False, description="Build Ppython bindings")
@@ -37,6 +35,8 @@ class Mlpack(CMakePackage):
     variant("shared", default=True, description="Build shared libraries")
 
     # CMakeLists.txt
+    depends_on("c", type="build")
+    depends_on("cxx", type="build")
     depends_on("cmake@3.6:", type="build")
     depends_on("armadillo@9.800:")
     depends_on("armadillo@10.8:", when="@4.5:")